[fatlazyless]

Lawmakers expect to be bombarded with e-mails for another week as House postpones action on boat speed limit bill

By Chris Dornin
Golden Dome News
top of page 1, Laconia Daily Sun

CONCORD - House members will have to endure seven more days of e-mails from both sides of the polarized debate over a proposed 45 mph boat speed limit on Lake Winnipesaukee, with 25 mph at night. If House Bill 847, sponsored by Rep. Jim Pilliod (R-Belmont) becomes law, violations would appear in the speeder's motor vehicle driving record. State reps were bracing for a long and heated floor fight yesterday that never materialized.

When House Speaker Terie Norelli (D-Portsmouth) called for discussion of the bill, Rep. Jim Ryan (D-Franklin) asked as chairman of the House Transportation Committee to hold off doing anything until Wednesday, Jan 30.

"This afternoon my good friend, the minority leader (Rep. Mike Whalley, R-Alton), asked to postpone the bill due to the unavailability of people to oppose it," Ryan explained.

Whalley later explained that Rep. Sherm Packard (R-Londonderry) was absent. Packard, the former chairman of House Transportation, wrote the opposition blurb in the House calender, warning that HB 847 would punish all boat operators for the irresponsible actions of a very few.

He also cited a Marine Patrol study this summer showing the legislation was unneeded. Officers clocked 3,852 vessels and caught 83 moving between 41 and 50 mph, eight between 51 and 60, and three between 60 and 62 mph.

"A far greater percentage of people disobey our speed limits on our roads,' Packard wrote. "Do we really believe that by passing this law that this small percentage of inconsiderate and irresponsible people will change their habits?"

Whalley said most of the citizens he's heard from live on lakefronts, and they generally want to regulate boat speeds. The marina owners have split about evenly, he said.

"I pay more attention to what individuals are saying, but I'm not convinced yet there's a problem," Whalley said.

One moment made clear how hard the stakeholders are hounding their public servants. Rep. Tony Simon (D-Manchester) went to the podium for a joke on Ryan that drew 10 seconds of laughter and applause. Several people stood up.

"Our friend from Franklin has just arranged for all of us to be inundated for another week with emails," Simon said. "I suggest we all forward them to the member from Franklin. He will do a statistical analysis for us."

More than a hundred people packed a hearing last spring on a version of the bill that capped the speed on all lakes. Strong feelings emerged on both sides. Sensing an impasse, the Transportation Committee held the bill for further study that led to a crackdown on just the largest lake. That attempt at a compromise left the committee with 7-6 endorsement and strong prospects for a floor battle.

Pilliod said he has gotten hundreds of letters and e-mails supporting his bill, and called them well informed and sophistocated. Each was different from the rest. Lawmakers are used to getting identical messages on an issue from different people.

"If we can get this to the Senate," he said before the postponement, "they're going to get thousands of e-mails on it. It's not just people who feel threatened by these boats. It's duck and loons. Merrill Faye of Faye's Boatyard (in Gilford) called me to say it's hurting his business. He was bananas about it."

Pilliod got a similar bill through the House in 2006 when Republicans controlled the legislature. It died in the Senate.

"I've been surprised and pleased to see a lot of Democrats are for it this time," Pilliod said. "It's not just good for people. It's good for the environment."

Sandy Helve of Meredith has been orchestrating some of that grassroots stir as president of the Winnipesaukee Family Alliance for Boating Safety, a nonprofit organization claiming thousands of supporters, many of them shorefront homeowners all around the lake. Their allies, she said, include business and marina owners, full-time and summer lake residents, kayakers, anglers, canoeists, sailors, rowers, and children's camp operators. Her people showed up in force to work the corridors outside Representatives Hall.

"These fast boats are driving people like us off the lake," Helve said. "I don't care what that study showed. They're going 70, 80, 90 mph when the Marine Patrol is gone, every day of the week, all day and all night. They can't stop in time. A lot of people feel scared and intimidated."

Warren Hutchins of the Weirs section of Laconia lives on the lake and serves on Helve's executive committee. He said the group has been digging deep to hold its' own with the commercially funded trade associations.

"We began pushing this four years ago," Hutchins said. " The people who can afford these big, high performance cigarette boats are all wealthy. But they're a very small part of all the boaters.

Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) said the study of speeders weakens the case for a limit.

"It showed there's not that much of a problem," Chandler said. Reminded the bill sunsets after three years, he said, "Once something is in, it's hard to get it out."

Cosponsors of the bill include Rep. Alida Millham (R-Gilford), Rep. Betsey Patten (R-Moultonboro) and Sen. Joe Kenney (R-Union).

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Laconia Daily Sun
Chris Dornin. Golden Dome News
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008




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