All –
The NH Senate Energy & Natural Resources delayed and delayed doing their own work to repair the flawed original wording of SB 224 on banning our leadhead jigs. The original wording was put forward by Harry Vogel of the Loon Preservation Committee. Not being a bass fisherman himself, he doesn’t understand bass fishing and the lures we use. It finally got to the point where this Senate committee HAD to report the bill out to the full Senate so they took the easy way out and just amended the bill by adopting new wording suggested by the NH Lakes Association and the loon people. This revision stated that all lead weighted jigs that were less than 2 ½ inches in overall length (from tip of jighead to the bend of the hook) would be banned starting in 2015. The original bill called for banning jigs that were less than 1 oz.
In their rush to report the bill out, the Senate Energy & Natural Resources committee voted 4 to 1 “Ought To Pass” (OTP). After that vote it finally dawned on them that this bill would put a significant financial hurt on many NH businesses that sell fishing jigs – especially Northern Bass Supply (NBS) where 75% of their sales are catalog and online to customers all over the USA. So, the bill they just voted on would prohibit NBS from selling the jigs described in the bill because it is tied to RSA 339:77, but out-of-state competitors of NBS would be able to sell them. But it was too late to “fix” the bill in committee since they had already voted. So, the prime sponsor of this bill, Senator O’Dell, made a floor amendment the following week when the bill came before the full Senate to repeal RSA 339:77 and reenact it to specifically include the verbiage prohibiting the sale of all lead weighted jigs that were less than 2 ½ inches in overall length and that this would not be effective until 2018. In other words, instead of hurting NBS and other NH retailers of jigs in 3 years (2015), they wouldn’t hurt them until 2018. Swell !
Yesterday the NH full Senate was in a rush to deal with all bills because crossover day was the next day (3/29). So, there was no real discussion and the Senate unloaded it (no roll call) to be dealt with by the NH House of Representatives. This is now how SB 224 reads with the amendment:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/amendments/2012-1440S.html This bill has yet to be assigned to a House committee, but it is expected to go to the House Fish & Game committee. There are 18 members on this committee and it isn’t too early to start telling them what you think about SB 224. The following e-mail address will get your message to all 18 committee members:
HouseFishandGameAndMarineResources@leg.state.nh.us . To see the contact information on each individual committee member, go to:
http://gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?code=H42 and click on each representatives name.
As soon as this bill is scheduled for a public hearing I will let you know. At that time we will ALL NEED TO MAKE EFFORT TO SHOW UP AT THAT HEARING . When you enter the hearing room (usually room 307 in the Legislative Office Building (LOB) just West and across the street from the gold dome State House) look for the sign-in sheet . . . write your name and indicate if you are for or against the bill (SB 224) and if you want to speak to the committee members. If you choose to speak, it is always a good idea to give 19 copies of your written testimony to the clerk who will then distribute it to the members. Relax and just be yourself. Just tell how the bill would affect you and/or your business. Please keep in mind too that the House reps are just folks like you and I and want to hear/read what you have on your mind. There is no question that the NH Lakes Association will be strongly encouraging their members (thousands who are lakeshore property owners) to phone and e-mail these 18 House Reps. So it is IMPERATIVE that we anglers make a BIG effort to counter this. Do NOT sit on your hands or you are likely to lose all your jigs and it will end up costing you hundreds of dollars each.
It is likely that the chairman of the House Fish & Game will schedule this in a larger room, start at 1:00 and give it a 3 hour hearing. Do everything to get a half day off work to be there and sign in. You do not have to speak unless you want to. It would be great for some of our Jr. Bassmasters and other youth to testify that they can’t afford to buy tungsten jigs. It would be a great experience for these youngsters to not only see the legislative process, but to participate in it.
If you need more background information on this issue, send me an e-mail.
Please pass this e-mail on to others who you do not see in the “To” header.
Best,
Dick
Richard “Dick” Smith
Conservation Director
New Hampshire Bass Federation
d-smith@worldpath.net 
