12-month Fishing Bill is Dead!
12-month Fishing Bill is Dead!It is truly unbelievable. The Assembly Appropriations Committee, chaired by Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher who represents a San Diego coastal district, did not report out Senate Bill 187 this past Friday. SB 187, legislation authored by Senator Tom Berryhill, would have created an annual fishing license that would be valid a full 12-months from the date of purchase.
SB 187, sponsored by CSL, was supported by nearly every statewide organization representing small business, labor, travel, hospitality, local government and outdoor recreation.
The bill even passed the State Senate unanimously!
Sadly, a bill supported by all, and opposed by none, is now dead. We are at a loss to explain why.
However, we do know this for certain – the state’s fishery program is bleeding millions of dollars a year due to declining fishing license sales. This is not going to change until California’s failing fishing license system is reformed.
In closing, we want to thank all our angler friends for emailing and calling Assembly Member Gonzalez Fletcher’s office.
We were simply not heard — this time!
