MMA urges riders to support MRF Call to Action regarding US HR 904
The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) previously reported on the Motorcycle Riders Foundation�s (MRF)activities with US Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) who filed US House Resolution 904 to prohibit the Secretary of Transportation (and thus NHTSA) from providing any funding to be used for the purposes of Motorcycle-only Checkpoints. The MMA believes Motorcycle-only checkpoints are highly discriminatory; because it's the MMA's stance that no Government Monies (Federal, State, or Local) should be used for this purpose, we fully support this measure as a step in the right direction and would like to see it passed despite the fact that it doesn�t prevent states and local governments from self-funding them, such as those over the Memorial Day Weekend in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire.
Representative Sensenbrenner is asking his colleagues in the House of Representatives to sign a letter addressed to the leadership of the House-Senate Surface Transportation Reauthorization Conference Committee to include HR 904 in the conference report. The text of the letter is included in the MRF Announcement below. This approach would avoid seeking a separate debate and vote in the 2 chambers for HR904.
The attached call to action from the MRF was also issued in another form from the American Motorcycle Association today because there is a June 5th deadline to collect signatures from other Representatives. The MMA is joining the MRF and AMA in encouraging all riders, their friends and families to contact their US Representative asking them to sign onto the letter.
Call, write, or fax your US Representative by clicking here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find and enter your ZIP code.
To read the article, see below or Click Here.http://www.mrf.org/2012/news_release/12NR19.htm
For more information, please see http://www.mrf.org/, http://www.massmotorcycle.org/, or contact mrfrep@MassMotorcycle.org
�2012 Massachusetts Motorcycle Association � Documents referenced herein are with permission of their respective Copyright owners.MRF Announcement Follows:MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
236 Massachusetts Ave. NE | Suite 204 | Washington, DC 20002-4980
202-546-0983 (voice) | 202-546-0986 (fax) | http://www.mrf.org
12NR19 - MRF News Release - Call to Action - Sensenbrenner Letter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
29 May 2012US Representative James Sensenbrenner is asking all Members of the United States House of Representatives to co-sign a letter he is sending to the leadership running the Highway bill conference committee.
The letter urges the leadership to include the language from HR 904, the bill that prohibits any future federal funding of motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints. HR 904 has bipartisan support. Sensenbrenner is asking for signatures before June 5th, so time is of the essence.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is asking you to call your Federal Representative and ask them to sign onto the Sensenbrenner motorcycle-only checkpoint letter. Pick up the phone and make this important call, its crucial to the future of motorcycling.
With the June 5th deadline, its important to contact your Federal Representatives as soon as possible.
You can reach them through the US Capitol switchboard: 202 224 3121
Should you not know who your Federal Representative is, you can use this website to look it up: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
The text of the letter is below:
| Senator Barbara Boxer Chair Senate Environment & Public Works Committee 410 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Senator James M. Inhofe Ranking Member Senate Environment & Public Works Committee 456 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 | Representative John L. Mica Chairman House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee 2165 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Representative Nick J. Rahall II Ranking Member House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee 2163 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 |
Dear Committee Chairs and Ranking Members:
There is broad bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, and among motorcycle groups across the country, for efforts by Congress to prohibit the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from funding motorcycle-only-checkpoints (MOCs). We respectfully request that the House-Senate conference committee support this effort by including H.R. 904 in the surface transportation reauthorization conference report.
This provision would prohibit the DOT from providing funds to state and local governments for the purpose of establishing MOCs. MOCs are a controversial and unproven method of addressing motorcyclist safety and have not been an efficient use of limited federal dollars. The very existence of this program essentially profiles a group of citizens � the motorcycling community � for operating a legal mode of transportation.
In addition, DOT should be prohibited from making funds available for MOCs because there are more effective uses of taxpayer money to address motorcycle safety. DOT should focus on programs to instruct motorcyclists on the importance of proper licensing, rider education, and motorcycle awareness campaigns. These efforts will do more to prevent motorcycle crashes than mandatory checkpoints to inspect helmets and tailpipes.
You may recall that H.R. 904 has more than 40 bipartisan cosponsors. Including this language in the conference report would be a victory for encouraging effective motorcycle safety efforts.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,US Representative James Sensenbrenner
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