THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 17, 1994 TAG: 9410170058
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Like many coastal residents, the legislators who represent northeastern North Carolina and who will decide the final fate of the saltwater fishing license are split over the measure, according to recent interviews.
Senate leader Marc Basnight, D-Dare, has taken the lead in promoting the saltwater fishing license.
Using a tactic that has worked well for him in the past, Basnight hit the road last month to meet with coastal newspaper editors and reporters and to answer questions about the license and his proposal to create a trust fund with the proceeds from license sales. Basnight met with a group, earlier this week in Washington, that is studying the license to support their efforts.
But he is just the most visible northeastern legislator who generally supports a coastal fishing license for sports anglers.
While area legislators and candidates said that ultimately their vote would depend on the final form of any legislation, the northeast's sole Republican legislator, Rep. Zeno Edwards, R-Beaufort, said this week that he generally supports the license as does Edwards' opponent, Etles Henries of Aurora, a commercial fisherman.
``If the money is going to help the resource, I think there'd be very little objection to it,'' said Edwards in a recent interview. ``I could support it very easily and most of the fishermen that I have talked to feel that way.''
Rep. Vernon G. James, D-Pasquotank, is also an early supporter of the saltwater fishing license, with the specification that the money be used to improve the state's fisheries.
But both candidates to replace James as the representative from the 1st House District in the state legislature - Democrat W.C. ``Bill'' Owens of Pasquotank County and Republican John Schrote of Currituck County - say their first inclination is to oppose the license.
``The bottom line is if it sounds like a duck, looks like a duck and acts like a duck, it's a duck,'' Schrote said in an interview Friday. ``And this looks like additional taxes to me.''
Said Owens: ``At first glance, the case would have to be made to me for the need for it. I question whether the cure is as bad as the disease.''
Meanwhile some area legislators - including Sen. Ed Warren, D-Pitt, who represents parts of Beaufort and Martin counties - simply have not decided what to think of the proposal.
His opponent, Republican lawyer Steve Rader of Washington, and incumbent Rep. William T. Culpepper III, D-Chowan, could not be reached for comment. by CNB