[Source: Mike Rich, Arizona Republic] -- A bill that would require the Arizona State Parks Board to charge residents 20 percent less than non-residents for their annual state-park passes is working its way through the Legislature. The Arizona Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Rural Affairs passed the bill by a vote of 4-3 and sent it to the Rules Committee. "Residents of the state already pay into the park system through taxes, so they should have to pay less," said Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, author of the bill. Gould said he introduced the bill because his constituents have complained about the growing cost of the passes. The State Parks Board raised its prices on annual passes in January. The price for a standard pass - for residents or non-residents - went from $45 to $50 and the premium pass went from $100 to $125. "My constituents don't think it's fair to pay these high prices when they are already paying into the park system," Gould said. Gould added that if there is in-state and out-of-state tuition at the state's universities, "there is no reason why the same concept should not be applied to state parks." [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
Monday, February 25, 2008
Bill would lower cost of annual state-park passes
[Source: Mike Rich, Arizona Republic] -- A bill that would require the Arizona State Parks Board to charge residents 20 percent less than non-residents for their annual state-park passes is working its way through the Legislature. The Arizona Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Rural Affairs passed the bill by a vote of 4-3 and sent it to the Rules Committee. "Residents of the state already pay into the park system through taxes, so they should have to pay less," said Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, author of the bill. Gould said he introduced the bill because his constituents have complained about the growing cost of the passes. The State Parks Board raised its prices on annual passes in January. The price for a standard pass - for residents or non-residents - went from $45 to $50 and the premium pass went from $100 to $125. "My constituents don't think it's fair to pay these high prices when they are already paying into the park system," Gould said. Gould added that if there is in-state and out-of-state tuition at the state's universities, "there is no reason why the same concept should not be applied to state parks." [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
