House Bill 29 is scheduled for a vote at the next Kentucky General Assembly on Feb. 5, and FLW has offered its support of the bill and asked for support from its members as well.

The legislation is intended to serve as an amendment to the new sales tax on admission to sporting events that went into effect on July 1, 2018. As part of that legislation, fishing tournament entry fees and boat ramp usage fees are also taxable in the state of Kentucky as of the date of enactment – a tax that could negatively impact the recreational fishing economy in Kentucky.

Per FLW’s letter to Kentucky Rep. David Meade, thanking him for supporting House Bill 29:

“Recreational fishing in Kentucky is a $ 1.1 billion per year industry that supports more than 10,000 jobs and already generates $60 million per year in state and local taxes according to the American Sportfishing Association. A sales tax on tournament entry fees jeopardizes a significant portion of this substantial revenue stream.”

Because neighboring states do not tax tournament entry fees and boat ramp usage fees, in addition to the spread of Asian carp in Kentucky Lake, Kentucky already faces tourism challenges related to recreational fishing. Adding taxes to tournament and boat ramp fees could force many recreational and tournament anglers to opt for fishing opportunities in other states.

Passage of this bill will ensure that Kentucky businesses, fisheries and municipalities continue to benefit from the millions of dollars in economic impact that fishing tournaments provide annually.

FLW, with operations headquarters in Marshall County, Ky., is in full support of House Bill 29, and urges Kentucky residents and those who fish on Kentucky waters to offer their support, too.

If you live in Kentucky, click here to find your local legislators and contact them in support of House Bill 29.

If you do not live in Kentucky, but fish in the state, please contact David Meade, Tommy Turner, Randy Bridges, Chris Freeland, David Hale, Regina Huff, Sal Santoro and Ken Upchurch to thank them for sponsoring House Bill 29. Their contact information can be found here.