It is all-too-common these days for a legislator to tack a last-minute amendment to a bill. This ploy often sneaks something into law without the public’s knowledge.

Florida senators Peter Deutch and Charlie Charles justice tacked an amendment to Senate Bill 2094, calling for a tax exemption of the purchase of school supplies (a good thing) that would have ended the tax exemption on recreational fishing charters in Florida (a bad thing) from July 2208 to June 2009. It was a misguided attempt to raise revenue, and as it turned out, this bill never made to the floor before the end of the senate session.

According to a spokesman for Representative Ron Sounders (D-Monroe County) a good numbers of emails and calls from Florida Keys guides and anglers came into their office, protesting the bill. If enacted, charter fishing customers could expect to pay an additional $40 for an inshore fishing charter and $100 for an offshore excursion. In tough economic times, given the rise in fuel prices and a dip in traveling, that is the last thing the fishing charter industry needs.

It is felt that more public outcry would have been received; however this amendment was tacked on to SB 2094 only weeks before it was to be heard on the senate floor.