CCA Legislative gillnet alert!

Legislative Alert and Action Request

HB311 & HB312

Dear Members:

Representatives Tommy Hanes, David Sessions, and Jack Williams have introduced two bills, HB311 and HB312 that, if passed, would turn back the successes of the 1990s victory requiring a permit holder to prove that at least 51% of his income was earned as a commercial gillnetter and the 2008 negotiated agreement banning a transfer on commercial gillnet licenses. HB 312 is a stand-alone bill which would allow the permit holder to designate a single person who could operate the boat in his absence. While it does not expressly erase the ban on the transfer of permits, it is a de facto reversal of the ban. HB 311 amends the existing bill to remove the income requirement. CCA strongly opposes any changes to the deal that was agreed upon by the very same gillnetters who now seek to undo it and who had two opportunities to participate in a buyout.

These two bills are set for a Public Hearing on Wednesday March 8th, 2017, (9:00 a.m. for HB312 in Room 418 and 3:00 for HB311 in Room 410 of the State House. While we are limited to three speakers, we encourage anyone who can, to attend and show our support in numbers. If you cannot attend, then we ask and encourage you to contact your legislator and let them know that you oppose any changes to the agreed upon legislation prior to the Public Hearing on Wednesday.

You can contact your local representative through the link below and very quickly send a message to them.

https://www.votervoice.net/CCAAL/campaigns/50527/respond


As always, CCA appreciates and values your continued support.

Thank You,

April DePaola
State Chairman
CCA Alabama

Thank you, David. That is so easy, there is no excuse for voicing my opposition.

I should add a paragraph suggesting that the gillnetters be allowed to operate without any restrictions at all---in Somalia.

Done. Copied and emailed to my friends and relatives.

Filled out for me as well, along with some few choice words on gill netting in general

Done !! Sent to others

Followup:

CCA has, for decades, worked to ensure a sunset on commercial saltwater gillnetting. As a result of CCA's efforts, the number of commercial gill netters has decreased from over 200 to fewer than 70.
Our previous email explained that two (2) bills were recently introduced to the Alabama House of Representatives that attempted to get around gill netting restrictions that were enacted in the 1990s and 2008. HB 312, introduced by Rep. Hanes (DeKalb & Jackson), allows a commercial gill net license holder to designate another person to work their license without he or she having to be on the boat. HB 311, also introduced by Rep.Hanes, eliminates the requirement that a commercial gill net license holder must derive at least 50% or more of their income from the seafood industry in order to renew their license.

House of Representative legislative committees held public hearings on HB 311 and HB 312 on March 8, 2017. Members of CCA traveled to Montgomery to provide testimony against committee approval of these bills. The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee of the House voted to continue consideration of HB 312 "indefinitely." Hopefully, this is the last we see of HB 312 this session. Unfortunately, the Agriculture and Forestry Committee of the House gave HB 311 a "favorable report" and it has moved back to the House for further consideration. The committee vote on 311 was split and evidenced some strong feelings on both sides of the gill netting issue. While member testimony was helpful, it was the hundreds of emails and phone calls from our membership across the state to these committee members that made the real impact. It was your voice that stalled HB 312 in committee and caused legislators to take a stand against their committee chairman-albeit unsuccessfully-on HB 311. We need your voices now to stop HB 311.

The next step in the process is for HB-311 to be placed on the calendar by the House Rules Committee. We are asking you to reach out to your local representative and ask them to vote no and maintain the existing gill net laws. Additionally we are asking you to reach out to members of the House Rules Committee to ask that they not allow these two bills to be calendared for consideration. We have listed the members of the House Rules Committee below, and you can also use our system to fill out a message to your local representative.

"CCA strongly opposes any changes to this law which was agreed on by these same gillnetters and asks our legislators to keep the current gill net law as is. We need you to call and email the rules committee and your representative and ask them to oppose this bill."

The link below provides a easy method to populate a message and auto-populate to your local legislator based on your zip code. We hope that every member of CCA Alabama will take a moment to contact your local representative to voice your concern and opposition to HB 311 moving any further.

https://www.votervoice.net/CCAAL/campaigns/50737/respond

House Rules Committee


Chairman
Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-AL-025)
(334) 242-7668
(256) 539-5441
c.mac.mccutcheon@gmail.com
Vice Chairman
Representative Ron Johnson (R-AL-033)
(334) 242-7777
(256) 249-9489
ronald.johnson@alhouse.gov
General Members
Representative Elaine Beech (D-AL-065)
(334) 242-7702
(251) 847-2604
elainebeech83@gmail.com
Representative Barbara Boyd (D-AL-032)
(334) 242-7692
(256) 741-8683
barbara.boyd@alhouse.gov
Representative James Buskey (D-AL-099)
(334) 242-7757
(251) 208-5480
james.buskey@alhouse.gov
Representative Randy Davis (R-AL-096)
(334) 242-7724
(251) 990-4615
randalldavis14@gmail.com
Representative Lynn Greer (R-AL-002)
(334) 242-7576
(256) 247-5059
lynn.greer@alhouse.gov
Representative Alan Harper (R-AL-061)
(334) 242-7732
(205) 339-7000
salanharper@gmail.com
Representative Paul Lee (R-AL-086)
(334) 242-7675
(334) 792-9682
pwlee@graceba.net
Representative Barry Moore (R-AL-091)
(334) 242-7773
(334) 393-4264
barry.moore@alhouse.gov
Representative Kerry Rich (R-AL-026)
(334) 242-7538
(256) 582-0619
kerryrich@bellsouth.net
Representative Pebblin Warren (D-AL-082)
(334) 242-7734
(334) 727-9127
tiger9127@bellsouth.net
Representative Randy Wood (R-AL-036)
(334) 242-7700
(256) 239-9190
Randy.Wood@alhouse.gov
Speaker Pro Tempore Victor Gaston (R-AL-100)
(334) 242-7663
(251) 639-2555
hvgaston04@yahoo.com

As always, CCA appreciates and values your continued support.

Thank You,

April DePaola
State Chairman
CCA Alabama