NEA4WDC, INC. INITIATIVE UPDATE As you may recall, I recently posted a page asking for Massachusetts residents to become involved in a new Senate Docket proposing changes to the existing vehicle limits allowed on MA land. If you don't, please read about the initiative now. February 26, 2004 Update From Mark Dupont, the legislative contact for the NorthEast Association of 4WD Clubs: I just got off the phone with Senator Brewers office. What happens now is we need to contact their State Representative. If this Bill is not referred before the Wednesday March 25, 2004 it will be released under an "unfavorable report" status, which means there was obviously no interest. WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO People MUST now contact their respective State Representative's and ask them the following: "Please contact Chairman of the House Committee on Rules Angelo Scaccia and concur with the Senates referral of the bill (Senate Docket #2276) to state administration" The link below lists all the Massachusetts State Representatives by municipality: http://www.state.ma.us/legis/citytown.htm Please help us help you regain access onto YOUR public land! February 19, 2004 Update Early in the month: from the 500-600 signed petitions received from through-out the country, I called 160 Mass residents from this pile, so far I’ve faxed over 100 signed Senate Docket petitions to the respective Massachusetts Senators. Just last night (2/18/04) I received a call from Senator Steven Baddour’s office asking for details. Carl Merrick has been in constant contact with members of the Berkshire business community. One business has expressed strong interest in sitting with members of the NEA to discuss a political strategy. The NEA will work with Carl and the business owner to make this happen. This same business owner has contacted Senator Stephen Brewers office and requested that Senator support this initiative. I was in contact with Brewers office yesterday (2/18/04), the contact reported that they will support the initiative and  are referring the Docket to committee. This is step #2 of a very long journey to become Senate Bill #2276. With all kinds of luck and support, the 4-wheel drive community may have “their day in court”. As the Docket makes the evolutionary journey up the food chain, Senate committees will be formed, research done and public hearings to be slated. The NEA Mass Land Committee has launched yet another initiative. The need to generate more support via a signature drive has landed upon the shoulders of  Bill Thebert, JonFund member and Greg Pearce, President of Snipers Lair. These gentlemen will be canvassing Massachusetts Jeep dealerships requesting that they help collect the needed signatures from both their staff and customers. Kudos to both Bill T. and Sharon P. for researching and compiling the necessary dealership info and contacts. There is still a ton of stuff to do and not enough folks to help. More signatures, phone calls, faxes and e-mails are needed. Please distribute this to your members, encourage them to become the catalyst for change in THEIR sport.   January 2004 Update: Mark Dupont is working very hard to get this Docket into the proper hands.  He is diligently contacting Senators and representatives, but he needs the help of the Massachusetts citizens and taxpayers!  Here are the updates from Mark and he has included instructions as to how you can help! You CAN make a difference if we make enough noise! As stated at the beginning, this may not go to a vote, but we have started to roll the ball. We have let them know who we are and that we will fight for our voice to be heard. This is how any law is conceived.  People have an idea, they start working on the local representation, they sometimes fail the first time but they try and try again and finally they are given a chance. Eventually if proven to the state that it is a worthy cause the law is usually made.  We are in their presence and if we give up now we will lose. But if we keep at it, which Mark Dupont and the NEA have vowed to do, we will succeed. All he needs from the citizens is a short e-mail at the least! Please consider doing your part! Senate Docket #2276 report. As of 1/29/04, Senator Brian Joyce's office reports these findings: that because the proposed Bill was filed late, and because the proposed Bill is considered controversial, there is a strong possibility that the Docket may not make it to committee. It was suggested that we let it stay the course and die, then re-file in November 2004... I asked, "what can we do to try and push this initiative further up the food chain..." I was told by Senator Brian Joyce that, "the CONSTITUENT MUST CONTACT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SENATOR AND REQUEST THAT SENATE DOCKET # 2276 BE SENT TO COMMITTEE/HEARING. In doing so, the initiative will have a better chance of surviving." WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO What does this mean? People MUST begin contacting their respective Senators DIRECTLY! When the state contact was asked what difference the petitions were making, they said we need to contact our individual Senators because these "State Senators are only interested in the needs/concerns of their own constituents." Just email, fax, call, or write your State Senator and request that Senate Docket #2276 be sent to Committee. It really is that simple and will only take a moment. The link below lists all the Massachusetts State Senators by municipality: http://www.state.ma.us/legis/citytown.htm People like Mark Dupont and the others on the Massachusetts Land Access Committee can only do so much. Without you doing your part, the efforts of the Committee members are in vain. So please, take a moment to show your support and send your request to YOUR Massachusetts State Senator today! Mark also followed up with a report as to the petitions that were already received: "At the moment, we have no less then 150 signed petitions from Massachusetts residents who are supporting this petition. I’ve spent some serious hours going through every single petition, researching and matching the CITY/TOWN & PRECINCT to the respective Senator and will begin faxing these petitions this week! Your help is needed in supporting this initiative! Respectfully, Mark Dupont/NEA4WDC MA Land Committee" If you have not already signed the petition, please log onto the initiative link above, print the petition, sign it, and mail or fax it to your representative. 150 of your peers have already done so!
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