SF 1116 / HF 590

[HayLakeDale]

This is a bill that is quietly going through the state legislature right now. It was passed by the senate on a vote of 50 to 17 last week and should come up with state representatives next week. If this law passes, any child under the age of 13 will be required to wear a PFD while in a boat. I'm not here to debate the merits of wearing a PFD, but I do believe that this kind of decision should be left up to the individual. The note below was sent to me from my State Senator earlier today. If you agree that this is an example of the state going too far, please contact your Senator and State Representative today!

Dale

The SF is 1116. It passed 50-17 last week. I voted against it - what a ridiculous bill! The only chance we have is that it hasn't passed the House yet. It is coming up for a vote HF 590. if you can get anyone you know to contact the House Reps it might help. Send an alarm

Carrie

Thanks!

Dale

[gunflint]

Welcome HayLakeDale,

The next obvious step is to make pfd's mandatory for everyone.

The transportation saftey board has already talked about it. It's just another example of regulations protecting us from ourselves.

[Chris Haley]

It's already a federal law!!! Read the regs, you'll find out that it's required on boarder waters, the mississippi, cass, winnie, the st croix, lake superior, and leech lake. So it doesn't matter what the state does when it comes to these bodies of water, it's already law!!!

[CrappieJohn]

Any water created or who's levels are under the control of a corps of engineers dam fall under that federal regulation regardless of state.

[danfall]

A friend of mine was an avid fisherman and swimmer. One pea soup foggy morning he set out walleye fishing. About noon his wife was contacted by the sheriff, he had drowned.

The sheriff's accident report read something like this:

A boat collision between an anchored vessel and a very slow moving vessel resulted in victim being thrown overboard. It is suspected that victim hit his head or was not able to swim as was wearing a heavy parka and boots and drowned, autopsy to follow..

This guy swam in the lake religiously everyday when temps were right. The dent in his boat was only a couple of inches, so the other boat didn't even hit him hard.

Facts are simple, people need to wear life jackets when fishing alone, when under power, and in various other situations. Today, life jackets continue to be underutilized.

The likelihood that kids fishing on a 90 degree day while anchored over the fishing hole will keep their jacket on, now that is a joke. Laws are okay, but some are just plain foolish.