Anti-snowmobile legis. heating up. Needs your support NOW!

This is also posted in the "General" section.
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MN riders ATTENTION ! Anti-funding bill scheduled hearing.

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This is DANGEROUS! This bill could move foreward from here. Info below.
(BTW I copied this from a similar thread on hardcoresledder.com)
The bulletin is from, MNUSA.
If you have not contacted your state reps yet, time is short. Do it now.)

"Rep. Jaros’ gas tax bill (HF3781) is scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, March 25th at 4 p.m. before the Transportation Finance Committee. This bill cancels the use of unrefunded gas tax as a revenue source for snowmobile, ATV, OHM, ORV and the watercraft dedicated accounts. This funding source provides over 1/3 of the annual budget to run the snowmobile trail program.

Our lobbyist, along with those from other OHV groups, is hoping to get this pulled from the agenda. We need the legislators on the committee to hear from their constituents now on how important this funding is to safety, enforcement and maintenance of the snowmobile trails, and that snowmobiling brings millions of dollars to the winter economy. This gas tax is paid on fuel purchased for snowmobile use. Ask that they not support the bill. If your legislator is not on the committee, ask your own legislator to contact one of the committee members. The legislators will be on break and in their home district from Thursday to Tuesday.

If the bill does get a hearing, Doug Franzen, our lobbyist, would like snowmobilers to show up at the hearing. If there will be no hearing on the bill, we will post notice on the MnUSA website – www. mnsnowmobiler.org

Please pass this information on to others that would be impacted by the loss of this funding.

Here is a link to the bill: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/...p;session=ls85

Transportation Finance Division Committee Membership:
Meets: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. in Room 10 of the State Office Building.


Name & District
Phone Number
(651) area code
E-mail Address

Chair: Bernard Lieder (DFL) 1B
296-5091
rep.bernie.lieder@house.mn

Vice Chair: Ron Erhardt ® 41A
296-4363
rep.ron.erhardt@house.mn

Lead-GOP: Doug Magnus ® 22A
296-5505
rep.doug.magnus@house.mn

Michael Beard ® 35A
296-8872
rep.mike.beard@house.mn

Al Doty (DFL) 12B
296-4247
rep.al.doty@house.mn

Alice Hausman (DFL) 66B
296-3824
rep.alice.hausman@house.mn

Mary Liz Holberg ® 36A
296-6926
rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn

Frank Hornstein (DFL) 60B
296-9281
rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn

Melissa Hortman (DFL) 47B
296-4280
rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn

Jeremy Kalin (DFL) 17B
296-5377
rep.jeremy.kalin@house.mn

Shelley Madore (DFL) 37A
296-5506
rep.shelley.madore@house.mn

Sandra Masin (DFL) 38A
296-3533
rep.sandra.masin@house.mn

Will Morgan (DFL) 40A
296-4212
rep.will.morgan@house.mn

Terry Morrow (DFL) 23A
296-8634
rep.terry.morrow@house.mn

Michael V. Nelson (DFL) 46A
296-3751
rep.michael.nelson@house.mn

Connie Ruth ® 26A
296-5368
rep.connie.ruth@house.mn

Dan Severson ® 14A
296-7808
rep.dan.severson@house.mn

Linda Slocum (DFL) 63B
296-7158
rep.linda.slocum@house.mn

ex-officio Lyndon Carlson (DFL) 45B
296-4255
rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn

ex-officio Loren Solberg (DFL) 3B
296-2365
rep.loren.solberg@house.mn


Thank you for your help!

Nancy Hanson, Business Coordinator
Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association
763-577-0185/866-811-7669

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Here is a copy of the POS bill as it exists now:

H.F. No. 3781, as introduced - 85th Legislative Session (2007-2008) Posted on Mar 04, 2008

1.1A bill for an act
1.2relating to transportation; ensuring that unrefunded gasoline taxes remain in
1.3highway user tax distribution fund to be used for highway purposes; removing
1.4requirement that dedicated funds be used for other purposes; amending
1.5Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 84.794, subdivision 1; 84.803, subdivision 1;
1.684.83, subdivision 2; 84.927, subdivision 1; 86B.706, subdivision 3; Minnesota
1.7Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 86B.706, subdivision 2; repealing Minnesota
1.8Statutes 2006, section 296A.18, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
1.9BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.10 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 84.794, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.11 Subdivision 1. Registration revenue. Fees from the registration of off-highway
1.12motorcycles and the unrefunded gasoline tax attributable to off-highway motorcycle
1.13use under section 296A.18 must be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the
1.14off-highway motorcycle account in the natural resources fund.

1.15 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 84.803, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.16 Subdivision 1. Registration revenue. Fees from the registration of off-road vehicles
1.17and unrefunded gasoline tax attributable to off-road vehicle use under section 296A.18
1.18must be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the off-road vehicle account in
1.19the natural resources fund.

1.20 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 84.83, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.21 Subd. 2. Money deposited in the account. Fees from the registration of
1.22snowmobiles and the unrefunded gasoline tax attributable to snowmobile use pursuant to
1.23section 296A.18 shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the snowmobile
1.24trails and enforcement account.

2.1 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 84.927, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.2 Subdivision 1. Registration revenue. Fees from the registration of all-terrain
2.3vehicles and the unrefunded gasoline tax attributable to all-terrain vehicle use under
2.4section 296A.18, as well as the net proceeds from the sale of all-terrain vehicles forfeited
2.5pursuant to section 169A.63, shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the
2.6all-terrain vehicle account in the natural resources fund.

2.7 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 86B.706, subdivision 2, is
2.8amended to read:
2.9 Subd. 2. Money deposited in account. The following shall be deposited in the state
2.10treasury and credited to the water recreation account:
2.11 (1) fees from titling and licensing of watercraft under this chapter;
2.12 (2) fines, installment payments, and forfeited bail according to section 86B.705,
2.13subdivision 2 ;
2.14 (3) mooring fees and receipts from the sale of marine gas at state-operated or
2.15state-assisted small craft harbors and mooring facilities according to section 86A.21; and
2.16 (4) the unrefunded gasoline tax attributable to watercraft use under section 296A.18;
2.17and
2.18 (5) fees for permits issued to control or harvest aquatic plants other than wild rice
2.19under section 103G.615, subdivision 2.

2.20 Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 86B.706, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
2.21 Subd. 3. Purposes. The money in the account may be expended only as
2.22appropriated by law for the following purposes:
2.23(1) as directed under section 296A.18, subdivision 2, for acquisition, development,
2.24maintenance, and rehabilitation of public water access and boating facilities on public
2.25waters; lake and river improvements; and boat and water safety;
2.26(2) from the fees collected at state-operated or state-assisted small craft harbors
2.27and mooring facilities from daily and seasonal moorings and the sale of marine gas, for
2.28maintenance, operation, replacement, and expansion of these facilities and for the debt
2.29service on state bonds sold to finance these facilities;
2.30(3) for administration and enforcement of this chapter as it pertains to titling
2.31and licensing of watercraft and use and safe operation of watercraft; grants for
2.32county-sponsored and administered boat and water safety programs; and state boat and
2.33water safety efforts;
3.1(4) for management of aquatic invasive species and the implementation of chapter
3.284D as it pertains to aquatic invasive species, including control, public awareness, law
3.3enforcement, assessment and monitoring, management planning, and research; and
3.4(5) for management of aquatic plants and the implementation of section 103G.615 as
3.5it pertains to aquatic plants, including plant removal permitting, control, public awareness,
3.6law enforcement, assessment and monitoring, management planning, and research.

3.7 Sec. 7. REPEALER.
3.8Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 296A.18, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, are
3.9repealed.

3.10 Sec. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
3.11Sections 1 to 7 are effective the day following final enactment.


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Please direct all comments concerning issues or legislation
to your House Member or State Senator.
__________________

Letter sent to Andy Welti and Ann Lynch


I am writing to express my feelings on HF3781. I'm sure you are aware that this bill seeks to stop the use of un-refunded gas tax money that is used for snowmobile trails and other forms of off-highway recreation. As a citizen who actively enjoys many types of off-highway recreation including snowmobiling I hope that you will contact a member of the Transportation Finance Committee and tell them that passage of this bill would be wrong.

Thanks for your time and work. I look forward to hearing back from you on this matter.

Robb Warner


We'll see if they write back. Still waiting on a response from an email two weeks ago

Finally got a reply yesterday. Sure feel good having this guy make decisions for me.


Dear Robb,

Thank you for making me aware that this is being proposed. I had not
heard about the cuts to these accounts, so I will definitely be watching
for these provisions as the budget bill moves forward.

The transportation bill included a provision regarding the funds
generated through the gas tax for these accounts. A new percentage had been
calculated based upon the estimated use of fuel by ATVs. This
provision was kept in the transportation bill, so I find it difficult to
believe that an attempt would be made to take money away from the accounts.

Andy

here's what I wrote back

Andy,



Thank you for your response.



You may "find it difficult to believe that an attempt would be made to take money away from the accounts" but this is exactly what HF3781 aimed to do. So please don't say that you "believe" something would not happen, in your job as my represenative I need for you to KNOW things, not "believe" them. Luckily as I amsure you are aware this bill was removed from hearing as it should have been.