A few points:
The bill does not dedicate the funds to research, but rather to "research and conservation." Thus it could be spent on anything that could be construed as "conservation" including enforcement efforts, saltwater barriers, construction of levees and weirs, freshwater diversion to rebuild marsh, etc.
The bill includes the 136% increase for resident licenses, but no increase for non-resident licenses. This is too bad. It would be nice to see a proportionately similar increase in non-resident license fees. Why should residents bear a 136% increase while non-residents keep paying the same amount?
I expect the bill will pass, since it both has CCA support and folks in Baton Rouge sort of feel guilty about raiding the artificial reef fund.
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