B.O.L.T. of North Carolina ,California Senate Bill 435 - why we oppose

Dear American Lung Association of California,
We all love clean air.

B.O.L.T. of North Carolina is hopeful that ALAC does not want to be known as supporting wrongful persecution of innocent motorcyclists. SB 435 would penalize consumers for the failures of motorcycle manufacturers and motorcycle exhaust pipe manufacturers to follow existing EPA regulations. The EPA has not done their job of ensuring all motorcycles and exhaust pipes comply.

The notion that the presence or absence of a label or stamp is evidence that a consumer has modified exhaust pipes is totally absurd.

It would be better to have individual motorcyclists continue to support ALAC with donations rather than remember ALAC as the people who supported witch hunt legislation against motorcyclists, SB 435, as the reason we haven't the funds to contribute this year or next. Since we, as consumers, cannot comply with manufacturing regulations, we would be left with no choice other than to join together and fund an expensive judicial challenge if this bad legislation passes. Since labels and stamps do not prevent modification, we are confident just courts will concur that labels and stamps offer no evidence a motorcyclist has violated the legislative intent of SB 435, which is to reduce motorcycle noise and motorcycle exhaust by preventing modifications of motorcycle exhaust pipes by consumers. The only winners in this would be the lawyers, and the damage will have been done to the reputation of ALAC.

Please see the attached letter to Senator Pavley, consider our position, and withdraw support for SB 435. It is witch-hunt legislation, and that is no solution at all.

Thank you,
Janice MacKay
Director, B.O.L.T. of NC