ILLINOIS: Rider Education to Trump Mandatory Helmet Laws?

OFF THE WIRE
received this from Stacey Rigsby and a "Thank You" to him for keeping us informed


Bob Myers

State Legislative Coordinator

ABATE of Illinois, inc

http://www.allaboutbikes.com/motorcyle-news/law-legislation/4570-rider-education-to-trump-mandatory-helmet-laws?Legal_News

Rider Education to Trump Mandatory Helmet Laws?

Hold on to your seat, congress is doing something logical. US lawmakers say that they want to concentrate on rider education, instead of forcing states to enact mandatory helmet laws.

U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), as well as a few colleagues, will be introducing a new resolution on May 2nd that will encourage the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to stop pushing for mandatory helmet laws. The resolution will encourage the NHTSA to focus on motorcycle education and crash prevention instead.

The resolution reads:
The House "recognizes the importance of motorcycle crash prevention as the primary source of motorcycle safety (and) encourages NHTSA to focus on motorcycle crash prevention and rider education as the most significant priorities in motorcycle safety."
As a rider, I always wear a helmet and encourage everyone to do the same, but I’m also firmly against mandatory helmet laws. Wearing a helmet is a choice that should be made by the rider and not a governing body.

Since 1996, the NHTSA has been banned from lobbying for mandatory helmet laws. The resolution reinforces congress’s intent to keep this ban in place.

Tomorrow at 2 pm our ABATE License Plate bill will be heard in house committee, State Government Administration Committee, room C-1, Stratton Building. It was picked up on the House side by our good friend and member Representative Kay Hatcher (50th) and Rich Brauer (100), another good friend.

There is a very good chance that this bill will be sent to a sub-committee along with other special license plate bills which will kill our chances of proudly having our own plates. The reason being is not aimed at ABATE but there are many special plates out there and the law enforcement have a hard time keeping up with all of them so this will most likely be our last shot at getting it.

If your state representative is on this committee urge them to ask Rep. Jack Franks who chairs this committee and is also a very good friend of ours to let this one through.

TALKING POINTS are : This bill would cover passenger vehicles of the 1st division, motor vehicles of the 2nd division not weighing more than 8,000 lbs., and motorcycles.

With the tens of thousands of license plate applications that could come out of this, it could generate hundreds of thousands of dollars that would go to bolster up the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund.

Have them keep in mind that no one lobbies harder for their causes than we do and we are one of the last true Freedom Fighter Organizations left and we never ask the state for anything that costs the state money.

Be respectful to all!!

Click on the link below to see if your State Representative is on that committee

http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?CommitteeID=901&GA=97

Now click on the link below to get your State Representatives phone number and call BOTH capitol and district phone numbers

http://www.ilga.gov/house/

I believe it is "Now or Never"
Hope to see you Sunday

Bob Myers
State Legislative Coordinator
ABATE of Illinois, inc