Taken directly from the NEMBA website:

Don't Let HB 6557 Die in Committee

Email the Judiciary Committee and your Senator/Representatives Now!

On April 4th, Connecticut’s Judiciary Committee met to discuss HB 6557, a bill designed to extend liability protection to towns that offer public recreation on their property.  Many groups, including NEMBA, provided testimony and more that 150 mountain bikers signed on to NEMBA’s testimony.

NOW WE NEED MORE HELP:  We are very concerned that the Judiciary Committee will let HB 6557 die in committee.  Your help is critical to prevent this. Expanding the Recreational Use Statutes to include towns and municipality is important for all recreation in Connecticut.  However, if the committee takes no action on the bill by April 15th, it will simply die.

Here’s what we all need to do:

 

1) EMAIL THE JUDICARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS to let them know that as a resident of Connecticut this is important to you.

 2) EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND YOUR SENATOR and ask him or her to contact the Judiciary Committee and urge them to pass HB 6557.

The Trial Lawyers appear to be working hard to stop this bill and only a grassroots groundswell of support will keep this bill alive.  Every email counts!

Please do your best to explain why HB 6557 is important to you.  Please urge the Judiciary Committee to take positive action now!

Talking Points:

• Towns and municipalities need to be protected from frivolous lawsuits by those who recreate on public land
• Municipalities can not afford the exorbitant insurance costs resulting from these lawsuits
• Towns should not be forced to shut down public access because of liability fears.
• Healthy outdoor recreation is good for everyone, good for our communities and good for our state.  It reduces healthcare costs and promotes all around well-being
• There are fewer and fewer open spaces for recreation in Connecticut, and municipal land is becoming more and more important for recreation.   People will only wish to preserve open space if they have access to enjoy it.
• The current law is irrational: if one hikes, runs or bicycles on a trail that passes through various jurisdictions, it makes no sense for only certain property owners to be protected from liability and others not.  Everyone, including municipalities, should have the same protections.

Below are the email address of every senator and representative on the Judiciary Committee.  You can cut and paste their addresses into a single email or email them individually.

 

Remember, please be COURTEOUS and CLEAR with your comments.  You may address them all as “Dear Members of the Judiciary Committee”.  Please include your name and address in your email.

Here is the list of Judiciary Committee members and below that are their individual email addresses:

http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/MemberList.asp?comm_code=JUD

Eric.Coleman@cga.ct.gov
Gerald.Fox@cga.ct.gov
Doyle@senatedems.ct.gov

Gary.Holder-Winfield@cga.ct.gov

John.A.Kissel@cga.ct.gov
John.Hetherington@housegop.ct.gov

al.adinolfi@housegop.ct.gov
James.Albis@cga.ct.gov

David.Baram@cga.ct.gov
Jeffrey.Berger@po.state.ct.us

Beth@bethbye2010.org

christie.carpino@housegop.ct.gov

Charles.Clemons@cga.ct.gov

Patricia.Dillon@cga.ct.gov
Mae.Flexer@cga.ct.gov
Mary.Fritz@cga.ct.gov
SenatorGerratana@cga.ct.gov

Bob.Godfrey@cga.ct.gov

Gomes@senatedems.ct.gov
Minnie.Gonzalez@cga.ct.gov
Auden.Grogins@cga.ct.gov
Gail.Hamm@cga.ct.gov
Ernest.Hewett@cga.ct.gov
DebraLee.Hovey@housegop.ct.gov

Themis.Klarides@housegop.ct.gov

David.Labriola@housegop.ct.gov

Michael.McLachlan@cga.ct.gov

Meyer@senatedems.ct.gov
Bruce.Morris@cga.ct.gov

Melissa.Olson@cga.ct.gov

Arthur.ONeill@housegop.ct.gov

Kelvin.Roldan@cga.ct.gov
Andrew.Roraback@cga.ct.gov
TR.Rowe@housegop.ct.gov
rob.sampson@housegop.ct.gov

Joseph.Serra@cga.ct.gov
john.shaban@housegop.ct.gov

bill.simanski@housegop.ct.gov
rich.smith@housegop.ct.gov
Joseph.Taborsak@cga.ct.gov
William.Tong@cga.ct.gov
Joe.Verrengia@cga.ct.gov

Toni.Walker@cga.ct.gov
Jason.Welch@cga.ct.gov
Elissa.Wright@cga.ct.gov

We also urge you to email your own Senator and Representative and request that they contact the Judiciary Committee to urge that HB 6557 be passed.  To find out whom your senator and representatives are use this website:

http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp

 You can read HB 6557 here:

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/TOB/H/2011HB-06557-R00-HB.htm

Lastly, please pass on this email to all your friends in Connecticut who enjoy recreating outdoors!  Whether your walk, run, hike, ski or bike, everyone needs to get behind and take action ASAP.  Otherwise this bill will die in committee on April 15th.