Water enthusiasts say plan to require classwork intrusive
MILWAUKEE — A proposal to require all boaters born in 1989 or later to pass a safety course isn't being well received by water enthusiasts, who call it unnecessary government intrusion.
The bill, passed this year by the Legislature, would require people born on or after Jan. 1, 1989, to be certified by the state to operate everything from high-speed power boats to personal watercraft like Jet Skis.
Gov. Jim Doyle says he plans to sign the bill into law.
A person would be certified after taking an eight-hour class that costs $10. Uncertified boaters could face fines of up to $200.
Current law allows those 16 and older to independently operate watercraft without certification.
The new measure would apply to anyone whose birthday falls past the Jan. 1, 1989, date, regardless of how old that person is when they begin operating watercraft.
That logic doesn't sit well with state Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend.
"The obvious hypocrisy here is that older people don't need to take a class while younger people need one," Grothman said.
But Ronda Heiser, whose son died nearly three years ago in a watercraft accident, said the key issue is safety.
"We don't send kids on our roads without an education," she said. "Why not do the same on our waterways?"
Heiser and her husband pushed for passage of the measure and hope Doyle will sign it before the recreational boating season begins.
"I want it to save a life," she said.
State Sen. Tom Reynolds said his father taught him how to operate a boat safely, a method he says can be effective even without state intrusion.
"Government is just trying to micromanage the affairs of everybody," the Republican from West Allis said. "We have to say, 'When is enough enough?'"
Brian Heiser was 31 when he sustained lethal internal injuries while tubing near Wisconsin Dells after a rider on a personal watercraft struck him.
State Rep. J.A. "Doc" Hines, R-Oxford, said Heiser's death was a key reason he wrote the bill.
"It gives young people an opportunity to learn safety rules," Hines said. "It's very similar to what's required of young people who snowmobile or use an ATV."
The measure wouldn't affect people who use canoes, row boats and paddle boats.
Current rules mandate that 12- to 15-year-olds be safety-certified to operate powerboats and personal watercraft without adult supervision. That requirement still would be in place under the new legislation.
Appleton Post-Crescent 
).
Linear Mode
