Posted in Industry News for Colorado Rafters
HB 1188 was amended in Committee Monday evening… It’s not everything everyone wanted But it is a good first step, please consider the difficulty and scale of this issue we’re working.
An amendment went on the bill yesterday that did five major things:
1. Rewrote the legislative declaration to declare that the right to float was based in existing law broadly rather than narrowly on English common law.
2. Removed all references to “navigation” and replaced them with the term “right to float”
3. Included private boaters in the definition of people who can exercise their right to float on runs historically floated by commercial rafting companies
4. Struck the ability to portage
5. Included language protecting landowners from liability for water diversions, agricultural practices, etc. and allowed the use of “incidental contact” to avoid them
Read the amended legislation online
————-ACTION ALERT ————–
The Future of River Running Heads to Senate Floor on Friday, March 19th!
Take Action BEFORE Friday 9am
YES ON HB 1188 - the 2010 River Outfitters Viability Act
Let’s keep Colorado rivers open for business and fun
Look up your own state senator at: http://www.comaps.org or
Project Votesmart: www.votesmart.org
Key State Senators to contact:
* Senator Rollie Heath 303-866-4872 E-mail: rollie.heath.senate@state.co.us Boulder County
* Senator Paula Sandoval, 303-866-4862, E-mail: nwden34@yahoo.com ( Denver)
* Senator Mark Scheffel 303-866-4869 E-mail: mark.scheffel.senate@state.co.us (Douglas, El Paso, Lake, Park, Teller counties
* Senator Abel Tapia 303-866-2581 E-mail: abel.tapia.senate@state.co.us (Pueblo)
* Senator Michael Johnston 303-866-486 E-mail: mike.johnston.senate@state.co.us (Denver)
* Senator Ted Harvey 303-866-4881 E-mail: ted.harvey.senate@state.co.us (Douglas)
Sample script for phone/email/letter:
Dear Senator _______:
(Identify yourself: river enthusiast, Coloradan, business owner, outfitter whom employs many ppl. etc. Tell them if you live in their district. )
Please Vote Yes on HB 1188, the Colorado River Outfitters Viability Act.
We need Senator _______’s help to keep Colorado rivers open for business and fun! River running is a vital part of recreation, tourism, and business in the state.
Landowners, boaters, and fishers have been sharing the rivers for a long time in Colorado with few problems. Don’t let a few resort landowners close down the rivers for everyone in our state.
I hope I can count on your vote for the future of river recreation in Colorado.
(Add a personal note: why do you and your family enjoy boating?)
Sincerely,
Name
Posted in Head Boatman Blog • Industry News for Colorado Rafters
In a very exciting and dramatic committee hearing, 1188 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing by a 4-3 party line vote on Monday, March 15. This was a very hard-won victory.
Now it goes to the Senate floor TOMORROW March 19.
Please please please call and email your Senator and urge them to support 1188.
Find your Senator.
Posted in Industry News for Colorado Rafters
Dear Outfitters & Friends: (2/1710)
Congrats to you all – for your hard work in helping pass HB 1188 River Outfitters Viability Act out of the Colorado State House of Representatives on Tuesday Feb 16 with a 40-25 vote margin! 1188 now heads over to the Colorado State Senate.
Legislative process still to go:
HB 1188 heads over the Senate chamber where it will be assigned to a Senate committee and if it passes through committee, we then go to Senate floor for debate and 2nd reading vote and then 3rd & final vote. It’ll then be assigned to a conference committee if there’s differing amendments between the House and Senate. reconfirmed in both Chambers and then it will head downstairs to the Governor’s office for his signature to adopt it as law.
We still have a ways to go …. but we’re making progress.. please keep the calls and emails going.
Please take a moment and make some quick phone calls to the key Senators.
Ask them to vote YES on HB 1188. Some new Senators to contact are listed below.
Please distribute this request for action to your *lists* & databases- staff, customers, friends and family. Consider adding your own personal message to them… about your involvement, why you care and your need for their help and action right now.
Join our facebook group and ask your customers and friends to join too! fun ! and a great way to get out the info:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=271683806236&ref=ts
Our future to run Colorado rivers hang in a balance.
————————————————————————————————————————————–
HELP KEEP COLORADO RIVER’S OPEN FOR BUSINESS & FUN, YES on House Bill 1188, River Outfitters Viability Act
Please Call/contact these key Senators below in support of HB 1188 !
( even if you are not in their district it’s OK to contact them… we need to leave them lots of messages! )
Please ASK them to vote YES on HB 1188 : (phone calls into legislators is the #1 priority) [ if you have additional time send them a quick follow-up email ]
Key Senators:
Senator Ken Kester 303-866-4877 electkenkester@hotmail.com ( Baca, Bent, Crowley, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Las Animas Otero, Pueblo counties)
Senator Greg Brophy 303-866-6360 greg@gregbrophy.net ( Cheyenne,Elbert, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips Prowers,Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma counties)
Senator Mark.Scheffel 303-866-4869 mark.scheffel.senate@state.co.us (Douglas,El Paso, Lake, Park,Teller Counties)
Senator Shawn Mitchell 303-866-4876 shawnmitch@aol.com (Adams, Broomfield, Weld counties)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sample Phone script (and email) to legislator/s:
HI this is ____________ . (identify yourself, private boater, business owner, or that you’re employed by ____ business, river enthusiast)
I would like to ask you to vote Yes on House Bill 1188 the Colorado River Outfitters Viability Act.
THIS legislation is crucial to keeping Colorado’s Rivers open for business and fun. I hope we can count on your vote for the future of river recreation in Colorado. River running is an important sector of the tourism and outdoor recreation industry.
(Add a personal note about your perspective, business and why this is good for Colorado’s economic future and or your local community)
Thank you _____ (leave ur name and #)
——
Background: Commercial river running contributed $142 million to Colorado’s economy last year and more than 500,000 people enjoyed our scenic rivers. Yet, the ability to provide commercial river running is under threat because out-of-state developers want to prohibit licensed river outfitters from providing trips on historically rafted rivers. The 2010 River Outfitters Viability Act protects Colorado’s tourism industry by clarifying the rights of commercial guides to operate on Colorado’s historically run rivers.
HB 1188 passed 40-25 out of the Colorado State House of Representatives on Tuesday Feb 16, It now heads over to the Colorado State Senate,
Call today!
We need your help to keep Colorado’s river’s open for business
for more information and background please visit:
www.croa.org under membership
Additional action info at
http://www.adventureoffice.com/Bill1188.aspx
–
Monica Piergrossi
Western Voices Public Affairs & Media
monica.westernvoices@gmail.com
970-417-8007
Posted in Industry News for Colorado Rafters
View of the House floor this morning as HB 1188 passes 40-25. (35 Dems, 1 Ind, 4 Reps). Now it’s on to the Senate, which will be a significant challenge. Please continue to stay tuned on how you can help. We will be posting a list of key state Senators to contact soon.
Also, give a quick call to Rep Curry 303 866 2945 and Senator Hodge 303-866-4855 to thank them for sponsoring this bill and all of their continued work on this.
