In order to change the time of elections in Region 6, it was moved, seconded, and voted on at the Region 6 membership meeting on March 4th to make the following change to the MnUSA Region 6 bylaws.
Article VII, Section 1: Nominations for offices of MnUSA Region VI shall be accepted at the February- and March meetings. Elections shall be held at the April meeting with elected persons taking office May 1.
Article VII, Section 4: Candidates for office must be present at the April meeting or will forfeit their name on the ballot. Any exception to this rule will be at the discretion of MnUSA Region VI Executive Board.
This change will be voted on by the Region 6 membership at the meeting to be held on April 8, 2008 at 7:00 PM at the Kraus Hartig VFW.
URGENT -- ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND ALL SNOWMOBILERS AND ASSOCIATE MEMBERS - PLEASE READ
The following was posted to the MRR (Minnesotans for Responsible Recreation) website this week: STATE CAPITAL - Working with Representative Alice Hausman and other legislators, MRR has drafted two pieces of legislation, both of which repeal gas-tax funding of motorized recreation and provide for user-funded implementation of standards for protecting our state from the unwanted effects of motorized recreation. One bill implements the recommendations of the Office of the Legislative Auditor's Program Evaluation Report: State Funded Trails for Motorized Recreation. A second bill prioritizes user-funds to implement MRR's Five Standards for Protecting Minnesota from the Unwanted Effects of Motorized Recreation. Both bills will be introduced in the coming days. Two MRR bills to be introduced in coming days MRR Legislation Repeals Gas-tax Diversions to Motorized Recreation. User-funded Implementation of Recommendations - Legislative Auditor's Report, State Funded Trails for Motorized Recreation WE MUST TAKE ACTION TO MAKE SURE THIS LEGISLATION IS NOT PASSED. FOLLOWING IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
1) Pass this information on to your club members and every snowmobiler you know.
2) Pass this information on to associate members.
3) Call your legislators and let them know that you are opposed to the MRR legislation authored by Representative Alice Hausman. Contact information for legislators in Region 6 is attached.
Minnesota Region 6 - Senators / Representatives
Further information can be found at: http://geo.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/districts/start.html
The 1% unrefunded gas tax comes from tax paid on gas purchased by snowmobilers for non-highway use -- Nearly 1/3 of our funding comes from this gas tax. Let your legislators know that:
- This money goes to public trails, safety & enforcement.
- Snowmobilers train over 100,000 youths each year - we have over 2,000 active certified snowmobile instructors. Safety is very important to us.
- Minnesota’s snowmobile trail system is the backbone of winter tourism in the state, bringing in an estimated $1 billion each year. Snowmobiling is an important industry to Minnesota and adequate funding is necessary in order to provide funding to clubs to design, construct, mark, groom and maintain the trails.
- This fund pays for the maintenance of approximately 20,000 miles of Minnesota Trails that are maintained through local volunteer snowmobile clubs.
- There are over 286,000 snowmobiles in Minnesota -- Snowmobilers pay their way and have worked very hard over the years to establish a very comprehensive trail system -- one of the most comprehensive systems in the country.
- Without adequate funding of snowmobile trials...trails will be lost causing unsafe riding in Minnesota and lost tourism dollars.
4) Attend the Legislative Reception on Wednesday, March 19 (4:00-7:00 PM) at the Best Western Kelly Inn Capitol (I94 & Marion Street, St. Paul, MN) -- Also call your legislator and personally invite them to attend this receptions.
If this legislation is passed it will deprive clubs of much needed funds, it will divert gas tax money paid by snowmobilers to other purposes, and will delay or prohibit the development of new trails and ultimately lead to the closure of some existing trails. This proposal is the centerpiece of the extremist group (MRR) whose ultimate goal is the total elimination of snowmobiling and other motorized recreation. This legislation would deny and corrupt the things we have fought for and supported for decades, including strong law enforcement, responsible riding, and personal accountability.
WE CAN’T LET THIS HAPPEN -- PLEASE ACT NOW --- CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR AND ATTEND THE LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION ON MARCH 19.
Mary Hilke, Lead Director - 763-753-0435 Bob Bemmels, Director - 763-753-2872 Brian Hagen, Director - 651-459-9990 Ev Johnson, Director - 651-485-6447 Beckie Zweig, Director - 763-754-1225
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