Howdy,
Its been a while since I logged in here. I wanted to drop by and offer some information in case you plan on voting. Which I hope you do.
In 2009 The Senate had hearings on SB5127 (google that) and Jacobsens committee passed it and then it passed on the floor of the Senate. Some folks in the hunting clubs were convinced that (we) didnt need the fish and wildlife commission. Trouble is, not all the hunters knew what a few had decided. The Senators, all received the same letter asking them to dump the commission. The Senate voted on the floor and SB5127 (substitute version) was passed. I'm going to list the link to the legislation on the state website. 33 Senators voted to (neuter) the commission. (Jacobsens word.) They did not even allow testimony from
all the fishing groups. Amendments were stuffed into two more bills and all were eventually defeated. But, it was not over....
In 2010 SB 6813 attempted move WDFW and Parks and Recreation into the Department of Natural Resources. Another attempt to undermine fishing and hunting representation on the commission. People forget, that one of the lobbyists for some hunting groups, also represents some commercial fishing businesses. 6813 did not get out of committee, but for some the fight is not over.
This year, the WDFW is much more dependent on the licenses it sells. Politicians may want more of that funding and so your support this year could be vital. The Senate has also been moving forward with Marine Spatial planning, a policy that could adversely affect where boats and fishing is allowed to take place in the Puget Sound and the Ocean. Some people like fish and hate fishermen. LINK
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5127&year=2010March 12, 2009 is the roll call vote.
SB 5127
Fish & wildlife governance
Senate vote on 3rd Reading & Final Passage
3/12/2009
Yeas: 33 Nays: 15 Absent: 0 Excused: 1
Voting Yea: Senators Brown, Eide, Fairley, Franklin, Fraser, Hargrove, Hatfield, Haugen, Hobbs, Holmquist, Honeyford, Jacobsen, Jarrett, Kauffman, Keiser, King, Kline, Kohl-Welles, Marr, McAuliffe, McDermott, Morton, Murray, Oemig, Prentice, Ranker, Regala, Rockefeller, Schoesler, Sheldon, Shin, Swecker, and Tom
(not all of them are running and some of them retired)
(Supporters of hunters and sportfishing and the Commission)
Voting Nay: Senators Becker, Benton, Berkey, Brandland, Carrell, Delvin, Hewitt, Kastama, Kilmer, McCaslin, Parlette, Pridemore, Roach, Stevens, and Zarelli
Absent:
Excused: Senator Pflug
Some races won't be affected by this vote, but you should know about it.
For those who might think the commission is not their friend, you should know they showed incredible courage on October 1, 2010 when they increased the season days and allocation of sport crabbers. The commercial crabbers brought in the lawyer and threatened to sue the commission. They got heat from various legislators and others who also wrote to support the changes. The crab allocation was about 10% sport and the commercials will still get just over half of the non tribal share.
