Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, and Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, on Friday, March 30, proposed a "Mom's Amendment" to move up the opening weekend of the 2012 fishing season by one week.

"In what is shaping up to be a do-nothing legislative session, today we are offering a proposal that we hope will give citizens of Minnesota something to feel good about,'' they said in a joint statement.

"We are proposing to move up opening weekend of the fishing season - currently scheduled for May 12 - one week early. The fishing opener is a great Minnesota tradition and a major tourism event, and our state's anglers and tourism businesses deserve bipartisan support from the Legislature to get this done.

"Since the current opener falls on Mother's Day again this year, we're calling it the 'Mom's Amendment.' "

With little snow and poor ice conditions across much of the state, the two said, Minnesota's resort and tourism industry had a difficult winter and could profit from the earlier opener.

Because of the recurring conflict between the opener and Mother's Day, the proposal periodically surfaces in the Minnesota Legislature.

By law, the opener is two Saturdays before Memorial Day weekend, putting it in early to mid-May.

Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

Bakk said Dill would try to amend the earlier date to a game and fish

bill on the House floor.