Legislative Update - What Passed, What Did Not

[Dave]

May 22, 2006

The legislative session ended Sunday night with some good

news and bad news. The bad news is that the ATV gas tax

increase did not pass. While the increase was part of the

House Transportation Finance Bill, it fell by the wayside

when the entire transportation finance bill failed to pass

by the end of session.

The good news is that the utility ATV legislation along

with allowing use of ATVs on private land without time

limits for deer hunting both passed. In addition,

legislation allowing 11 year olds to take ATV training with

the certificate becoming effective when they turn 12 also

passed.

$648,000 was included in the bonding bill for the Agassiz

Recreational ATV trail.

There was language placed in the DNR Game and Fish bill on

the House and Senate floors which would have restricted use

of and eliminated trails for 4x4 vehicles and ORVs from

state and county forests. This provision was dropped in

conference committee. In addition, the $1.5 million

funding for the ORV Recreation Area in Southern Minnesota

did not make it through the conference committee. Even

though this was a user pay facility, it ran up against the

total spending limits of the bill and was dropped.

The DNR provision to return funds to the OHV accounts for

stockpile sales in our recreation area was also passed.

[blue gill guy]

thanks for the info