So much for no RI Saltwater License...

[JohnR]

This just pisses me off . There is an e-mail list I'm on and one this AM from Steve Medeiors at RISAA had noted today's Projo article on the state budget and how new fees has lines pertaining to a RI license fees for SALTWATER! So much for fighting the idoiacy last year.

I went to most of the license meetings last year and one of the greatest fears among anglers was if the revenue from the licenese would actually go to saltwater fishing instead of the general fund for use elsewhere (like paying 15 million flippin dollars to the greyhound owners at the track ). Well, that commitee rejected that license and the legislature did not implement one. But it looks like a done deal now.

The complete article is here

PROVIDENCE -- The House Finance Committee late last night approved a new state budget that promises a minimum 1.75-percent school-aid increase, while dealing blows to Governor Carcieri's attempts to rein in state employee pension benefits and cut greyhound owners out of slot-machine revenues.

The $2.785-billion state-financed budget is $121 million higher than the spending plan enacted a year ago, and more than $17 million higher than that proposed by Carcieri in March. Including federal dollars, the spending plan for the year that begins the week after next totals $5.76 billion.

It includes a 39-cent hike in the cigarette tax, a 1-percentage-point hike in taxes on restaurant meals and drinks, a new license and fee for salt-water fishing, and many more fee hikes. A threatened hike in the hotel tax evaporated, but lawmakers approved a new 26-cent-per-month surcharge on telephone bills to finance technology in schools.

For the first time, salt-water anglers would have to have a fishing license, one of the night's bigger surprises. The licenses, which would be required as of July 1, would cost $18 for residents. The change would raise $2.2 million, but would take $600,000 to implement.

The full article is here: http://www.projo.com/news/content/pr...d21.5c7b5.html