Well, it’s November and that means it is time to make your appointments for Black Thursday.
Yeah, seems a bit early, but this is the middle of the legislative biennium (two-year legislature).
That means no elections for state legislators this year.
And, since we already know who and where they are, we can contact them now for January 17th appointments.
We are re-submitting these bills from last session:
HB 1639 Modifying motorcycle helmet use requirements. Our sponsors were:
Representatives Hinkle, Blake, Wood, Kirby, Warnick, DeBolt, Chase, Dunn, Upthegrove, Newhouse, Condotta, Haigh
HB 1625 Regulating motorcycles at traffic control signals. Our sponsors were:
Representatives DeBolt, Blake, Hinkle, Warnick, Seaquist, Kagi, Kirby, Hunt, Wood, Dickerson, Conway, Lovick, Roach, Chase, Dunn, Flannigan, McCune, Priest, McDermott, Santos, Williams, McDonald, Newhouse, Alexander, Strow, Kretz, Condotta, Roberts, Ormsby, Haigh, Rolfes, Moeller
There was a substitute bill (actually an amendment to our original bill):
Section 2) Turning left as provided for in subsection (1) of this section
while not insured under a motor vehicle liability policy with liability
limits of at least the amounts provided in RCW 46.29.090, not self-
insured as provided in RCW 46.29.630, not covered by a certificate of
deposit in conformance with RCW 46.29.550, or not covered by a
liability bond of at least the amounts provided in RCW 46.29.090, is a
traffic infraction, and the operator is subject to the same penalty
imposed for violations under RCW 46.30.020(1)(d).
In other words, it would only be illegal if you are not insured!
This is their way of forcing us to have insurance!!!
I will be doing some recon on getting this amendment dropped.
We may have to go back to the original language of the ‘Left Turn’ Bill HB 1466 from 2005-2006.
I am compiling similar legislation passed in other states for the phrasing they used and see if we
can shame our opponents into seeing the light…
Anyway, make your appointments now! Send me the info, so I can make sure those districts without appointments get some!!!
On the legislative front:
National:
HIPPA (Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act): To close the loophole which allows your personal health insurance provider to deny coverage of medical treatment for injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident.
Note: While Washington State’s legislature supposedly closed this loophole a few years ago, it seems that it is rearing its ugly head again through SB 5726, which allows anyone denied coverage by an insurance company to sue for triple damages. It does not include your health coverage; which means: if your personal health insurance does not pay, you are screwed!
Prop 67 attempts to again plug the hole. We really need to watch this one!
EPA: The bureaucrats are at it again…Trying to close down the mom-n-pop shops and denying you the right to modify your own motorcycle! More on this soon…
NHTSA: Washington State got $114,000 for motorcycle safety awareness programs this year…guess who got it? DOL’s Washington State Motorcycle Safety Program. I’m not sure what they intend to do with it this year. But last year’s $100,000 went for a 20 or 30 second cable TV ad for select markets (i.e.; Seattle-Tacoma & Spokane). What about all the riders in the rest of the state? I will be contacting Project Manager Steve Stewart very soon to determine what the money is going to be used for this year.
This is important…my voice is not enough! We all need to be heard in Olympia and in that other Washington. It’s your rights being whittled away. Be heard! Call your State Legislators and Congressmen. If we are to be effective we all… you all have to make yourselves heard!
Watch the website for updates. Subscribe to the ABATE Legislative Alert email list at the bottom of the ABATE webpage.
Most of all…read your voter pamphlets and VOTE!!!
That’s it for now… make your appointments ASAP and get the information to me.
Ride Free,
Ginger Magures Member 15789
ABATE of Washington
Legislative Affairs Officer