RBAW Legislative Alert

I've been planning to write a post on the Recreational Boating Association of Washington (RBAW), a great organization that well looks after the interests of those of us who live and boat in Washington State. But just today I received the following alert from the RBAW, which is urgent and important, so I wanted to get this out now and in the near future do a more focussed post on the RBAW itself.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs have had introduced legislation that will have a severe negative impact upon recreational boating in the state of Washington. The bills- SB 5691 and HB 1848- would divert significant portions of our Federal funding 
for boating programs to the narrow issue of enhanced marine law enforcement.

Also, we 
have learned from the Coast Guard that the bills appear to put much of Washington State's 
federal funding for recreational boating safety at risk.

These bills were prepared without input from boaters, and the Sheriffs and Chiefs' lobbyist has repeatedly failed to meet with your recreational boating representative at the Capitol. These bills are now scheduled for hearings, on very short notice- the Senate bill on Monday, February 9th, at 1:30pm in Senate Hearing Room 2, and the House bill on Tuesday, February 10th, at 10am in House Hearing Room C. We need boaters to be in attendance at these hearings. We will arrange for the speakers, 
so all you have to do is sign in and be present at the hearing for a show of support.

If you can make it to Olympia for either or both hearings, please contact the Recreational 
Boating Association of Washington lobbyist at rbawlobby@yahoo.com, so we can coordinate.

In addition, we need boaters to take the following actions:

Most important: 1)- Use the legislative HOTLINE- 1-800-562-6000- to call your legislators and ask them to oppose SB 5691 and HB 1848. Tell them that these bills will hurt boating programs and endanger our federal funding of boating programs. The 
operator will be able to identify your legislators for you and take your message for all three- a senator and two representatives. The hotline is open 8am to 8pm Monday 
through Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. This is very quick and easy, please call today.

2)- Contact your local county sheriff. Ask him (or her) if he (or she) actually supports the hostile position taken against boaters by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and 
Police Chiefs. You may reference SB 5691 and HB 1848, and that the bills will hurt boating programs and endanger our federal funding of boating programs. Ask them to 
contact their association and express their displeasure with the association action, and to 
copy you on the communication.

3)- Contact your mayor. Ask him (or her) if he (or she) is aware that the local police 
chief's association is proposing legislation that is hostile to boaters, that will hurt boating 
programs and endanger our federal funding of boating programs. Reference SB 5691 and 
HB 1848, and indicate your belief that the city should control its legislative agenda, not 
the chief. Ask the mayor to convey to the chief, and to the Association of Washington 
Cities, opposition to the bills, and to copy you on the communications. Further request 
that the mayor have the chief communicate that opposition to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

4)- Forward any and all responses- positive or negative- to the Recreational Boating 
Association of Washington's lobbyist at rbawlobby@yahoo.com

Time is of the essence! Calls need to begin immediately, and boaters need to be in Olympia for the hearings on Monday and Tuesday.

So there you have it. Let's move.