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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
12NR17 – MRF News Release - Call to Action – Help End the Federal Funding of the Motorcycle-Only Roadside Checkpoints
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 May 2012
Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Ralations and Public Affairs |
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Call to Action – Help End the Federal Funding of the Motorcycle-Only Roadside Checkpoints
The US Congress has moved forward on the highway bill. They recently named the Conferees that will negotiate the differences between the House and the Senate. This is a crucial juncture for the legislation that would end the motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints. The language is in the HR 7, (the House bill) but not in the US House passed bill, HR 4348 and not in the Senate bill, S 1813. Its our goal to have the conference adopt the language into the final report.
The conference is sure to be lengthy as the two bills are wildly different. The House bill, H.R. 4348, is a short-term extension of federal highway funds that includes a requirement to approve the Keystone oil pipeline. The Senate bill, S. 1813, is a two-year, $109 billion extension.
Here is where you come in. Below is the list of every member of the Highway bill conference committee. If one or more of them are your elected officials. call them ask them to support the inclusion of the language that would prohibit federal funding of motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints. Call immediately. This will also be the key issue we lobby for next week at Bikers Inside the Beltway.
SENATORS
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) 202 224 3553
Max Baucus (D-Mont.) 202 224 2651
Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) 202 224 2152
Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) 202 2245842
Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) 202 224 6551
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) 202 224 6542
Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) 202 224 4744
James Inhofe (R-Okla.) 202 224 4721
David Vitter (R-La.) 202 224 4623
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) 202 224 5251
Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) 202 224 5744
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) 202 224 5922
Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) 202 224 6472
John Hoeven (R-N.D.) 202 224 2551
REPRESENTATIVES
Reps. John Mica (R-Fla.) 202 225 4035
Don Young (R-Alaska) 202 225 5765
John Duncan (R-Tenn.) 202 225 5435
Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) 202 225 2431
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV.) 202 225 2711
Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) 202 225 4076
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) 202 225 3536
Larry Buschon (R-Ind.) 202 225 4636
Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) 202 225 3665
Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) 202 225 5235
James Lankford (R-Okla.) 202 225 2132
Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) 202 225 5665
Fred Upton (R-Mich.) 202 225 3761
Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) 202 225 3115
Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) 202 225 5816
Rob Bishop (R-Utah) 202 225 0453
Ralph Hall (R-Texas) 202 225 6673
Chip Cravaack (Minn.) 202 225 6211
Dave Camp (R-Mich.) 202 225 3561
Patrick Tiberi (R-Ohio) 202 225 5355
Nick Rahall (D-WV) 202 225 3452
Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) 202 225 6416
Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) 202 225 5661
Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) 202 225 5635
Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) 202 225 0123
Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) 202 225 4741
Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) 202 225 3806
Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) 202 225 3826
Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) 202 225 3976
Ed Markey (D-Mass.) 202 225 2836
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) 202 225 8885
Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) 202 225 4811
and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) 202 225 8050
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Forwarded for your reading enjoyment.
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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
12NR14 – MRF News Release – MRF Meets with US DOT Secretary to Discuss Motorcycle-Only Roadside Checkpoints
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 April 2012
Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Ralations and Public Affairs |
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MRF Bikers Inside The Beltway National Lobby Day
Recently the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), along with ABATE of Illinois, sat down with United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss a few key motorcycle issues.
First and foremost is the issue of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) funding of mandatory motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints. LaHood let his arsenal of safety experts defend the checkpoints. It was revealed that the only state to apply for the funds was Georgia. No other states expressed any interest in the federal program.
There was a lively debate about the checkpoint issue, and we eventually had to agree to disagree on the effectiveness, fairness, and resource worthiness of mandatory motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints. As of now, NHTSA does not have any plans for future funding of these checkpoints.
We also discussed the Department’s position on E-15 blended fuel, they don’t have one.
LaHood is stepping down from the DOT Secretary role at the end of the year.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The official invite for the MRF’s 4th Annual Michael “Boz” Kerr Bikers Inside the Beltway federal lobby day has been delivered to every congressional office. As you plan your trip and arrange for your congressional meetings, be sure to remind them they got the invitation to address the group on May 17th.
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MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
236 Massachusetts Ave. NE | Suite 510 | Washington, DC 20002-4980
202-546-0983 (voice) | 202-546-0986 (fax) | http://www.mrf.org
12NR07 – MRF News Release – Senate Highway Bill Passes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14 March 2012
Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Ralations and Public Affairs |
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Senate Highway Bill Passes
The United States Senate passed its version of a federal highway bill today. The measure (S 1813) provides $109 billion over two years for highway projects. The final vote was 74-22. The bill moved quite quickly, considering the speed of the Senate these days. There was some discussion over amendments, the bulk of which were rejected.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is pleased to report that no federal helmet mandates are attached to this bill, which in the past has been the case. Even the last version of the bill that was voted on in 2005 had a full floor vote on an amendment that would have required every state to have a full mandatory helmet law, or have millions of dollars of their highway funds withheld.
“This year the mandatory helmet law issue was only a small part of the very early discussion of the Senate bill,” said Jeff Hennie, MRF Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs. “Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) filed a few motorcycle amendments during the committee phase, but he did not bring them up for a vote,” he added.
The future is blurry for the Senate bill, as the House of Representatives has been flip-flopping on supporting it. Right now the House is supporting its own five-year bill, but it has not been brought for a floor vote.
While the MRF supports the House bill because it contains the language that would ban federal funding of mandatory motorcycle roadside checkpoints, it’s not likely to see the return of the 2010 funds. Both the House and Senate bills send all safety money in one pot back to the states to give them flexibility.
The MRF will keep you updated on this and every other issue affecting motorcyclists in the Nation’s capital.
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Well, campers, it’s time to light up the phone lines in Olympia. SB 6304, the bill that puts motorcycles in the commute trip reduction act and strengthens our legal access to the HOV lanes, is eligible to be pulled to the floor. The problem is that there are a whole bunch of bills that people want on the floor. They move the stuff that gets the most traffic, so we have to up the pressure. Call your senator’s office as soon as you get done reading this and ask them to go to the Rules Committee and ask them to pull 6304 to the floor and move it.
Here are some talking points:
Commute Trip Reduction:
Parking incentives will make motorcycle commuting more practical to users and infrastructure planners.
- Motorcycles exhibit a much smaller footprint in a commuting lane, and are more agile in operation, with the potential benefit of easing congestion by facilitating better traffic flow. In urban “stop and go” driving situations the space utilized by one full sized car can be filled with 2-3 motorcycles.
- Dedicated parking areas for motorcycles will add to the overall security of the motorcycles by grouping them together. (Safety in numbers)
- Has the possibility to free up real estate currently being expended on single bike per parking space. With properly arranged and laid out parking areas, up to three motorcycles can be stored in the space normally allotted to a single vehicle.
HOV access:
By moving motorcycles from the main stream of high density rolling slowdowns to the more freely moving HOV lanes, the motorcycle operator has less exposure to encroachment and/or collision.
- By being in a steadily flowing stream as opposed to a “stop and go” stream rear exposure to inattentive drivers is seriously lessened.
- By being to the far side of the multi lane roadway the possibility of encroachment from suddenly merging traffic is minimized. There becomes only one side to defend while proceeding through traffic, with the other side becoming an escape route.
The proposed language removes some of the vagueness from when motorcycles are allowed HOV lanes access.
Now, quit reading and start calling your state senator. Offices may be staffed on Sunday, and the Senate will be back in session at 09:00 Monday morning. Make sure that every senator’s voice mail box is full of traffic on 6304.
If you don’t know yet who your senator is, drop and give me 20, take 15 laps of the outfield, then hit this link. (Poke the button)
Ride safely and legislate well,
“Texas” Larry
Government Relations and Junior Blogger
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