OFF THE WIRE
There is money in every motorcycle license for Education and it should be used for that. The money "in every motorcycle license" does not just "appear," it has to be taken from someone first. In this case the money comes, not from those in need of the training, but rather those who have either trained or proven themselves.
Anyone who wants to take one of the courses should be able to do so free of charge. We cannot be so nieve as to believe that these courses are "free."
More and more states are Ripping Off Motorcycle Riders by Taking Their Money and Using It For Other Things. You have the ripping off part correct. However once you are ripped off, does it really matter what the thief does with your stolen property? These are two seperate actions that you talk about. If we stop the "Ripping off" part, we then can control how our individual portion is spent.
Motorcycle Right Organizations and Riders Need To Contact Their Legislators about this. Taxation Without epresentation hmmm sounds familiar.
ROGUE
http://update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=2883
Senators debate bill repealing motorcycle safety course reimbursement..
Motorcycle safety education providers would no longer receive state reimbursement under a bill debated on general file Jan. 24.
The Motorcycle Safety Education Fund currently receives $3 from the Highway Trust Fund for every motorcycle registered in the state and $3.50 from the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund for each motorcycle operator’s license issued during the previous year. The fund is used to reimburse motorcycle safety course providers up to $75 for each student who successfully completes a course.
Under LB170, introduced by Valentine Sen. Deb Fischer, the Motorcycle Safety Education Fund would be dissolved Jan. 1, 2012, and its balance — expected to be approximately $790,000 — would be transferred to the Roads Operations Fund.
Fischer said the state reimbursement granted from the Motorcycle Safety Education Fund is inconsistent with driver education programs in the state and should be eliminated.
“There are no other driver training schools that receive any kind of state subsidy, because the state does not mandate these classes,” she said.
Elk Creek Sen. Lavon Heidemann offered an amendment, adopted on a 45-0 vote, to change the diversion of the Motorcycle Safety Education Fund. Under his amendment, 25 percent of the the fund’s monies would be transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and 75 percent would go to the Highway Trust Fund. He said this distribution would match the receiving funds’ contributions to the Motorcycle Safety Education Fund.
Kearney Sen. Galen Hadley said LB170, as amended, would still aid motorcyclists. Returning money to the Highway Trust Fund would increase their safety, he said, because motorcyclists are at greater risk of harm from faulty roads.
LB170 would eliminate the $5 fee for motorcycle safety instructors’ permits and chief instructors’ permits, and replace it with a $100 fee for certification of a motorcycle safety course.
The bill also would broaden the DMV’s regulatory authority over motorcycle safety courses and reduce the life of the driving test waiver granted to those who complete courses from 48 months to 12 months.
Schuyler Sen. Chris Langemeier offered an amendment to partially restore the duration of the testing waiver. Nebraska’s climate limits the number of months in a year that people can ride a motorcycle, he said, so those who complete motorcycle safety courses should be granted more than one year to obtain their class M license.
The Legislature adjourned before voting on Langemeier’s amendment or the bill’s advancement.
