The Helmet People

As ABATE continued to press the legislature to conduct hearings on the helmet repeal bill authored by Rep. David Clarenbach, a new term began popping up among lawmakers and the media. Some were calling us “the helmet people” in a derogatory tone. Years later, almost apologetically, some leaders in ABATE took offense to that term and explained that ABATE is multi-faceted and not a single issue organization. That’s true, but in essence, we were the helmet people. Helmet laws are what brought us together and united us in a single cause, the repeal of the helmet mandate. Those early pioneers in ABATE are proud of the term, the helmet people. It defined a force to be reckoned with. When we showed up to offer testimony at hearings, the legislators listened. For the record, we weren’t a single issue organization even back then. We were involved, along with the WBBA, in fighting for the Motorcycle Off Road Parks (MORP), and securing the funds that were being set aside for the program. Motorcycle registration fees were $5, and the WBBA and ABATE spoke to our members and it was agreed that a $2 increase would be acceptable, with the extra money set aside for MORP. By June 30, 1974, there was $669,000 in the fund. By the time we were pushing for hearings on our repeal bills in 1977, there was over $1 million in the fund. The 1977 budget proposal for Wisconsin suggested that the money, then held by the DOT, be transferred to the DNR for the creation of local aid programs to establish the parks. The head of the DNR at the time was Tony Earl, later to become governor of Wisconsin. More on the MORP debacle in a later installment of this history.

Meanwhile, we were waiting for hearings on the Senate and Assembly bills dealing with repeal of the helmet law. The Senate was dealing with the budget, and the chairman of the Assembly State Affairs Committee, John Plewa, refused to schedule a hearing in the Assembly until after the Senate voted on its version of the repeal. This delaying tactic would be crucial in our effort to repeal the law in 1977.

A couple of important things happened around this time. Dick Smith (WBBA) and Tony Sanfelipo (ABATE) met with authors of the Senate and Assembly repeal bills. They agreed to amend language in the bills that also dealt with eye protection and mandatory headlights on, in order to concentrate on the helmet law and hopefully expedite public hearings. Smith and Sanfelipo already chalked up a victory after testifying at a December 15 hearing on points assessments for certain violations. The administration or the DOT, James O. Peterson, issued the following statement: “Pursuant to S.227.018, Wis. Stats, the following rules changes will take effect concerning Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter MVD 11: After considering the ramifications of the petition, I am recommending that the point assessment for not wearing a helmet, operating a motorcycle with illegal handlebars, and operating with illegal foot pegs for the passenger, be repealed.” Another brick in the wall of the mandatory helmet law is chipped away. Anyone cited for the above infractions would still be subject to a fine, but they would no longer be assessed any points.

Another major occurrence took place at this time. ABATE garnered the attention of a group of bikers who, up to this time, were doing their own thing. We were contacted by Jack Weaver, president of the Black Coalition, which consisted of eight motorcycle clubs in the Milwaukee area. In the past, they attended the various helmet law protest rallies in Madison and Milwaukee, but were not members of the WBBA or ABATE, although Weaver did testify at several hearings concerning the helmet law. Now, the Black Coalition was officially a member group of ABATE of Wisconsin. Weaver was an AMA sanctioned racer and a member of the 100,000 Mile Club, and he and his organization was a welcomed partner in ABATE.

Another development was the formation of zones of representation in Wisconsin for ABATE. The state was divided into three zones: Red Zone, Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Price, Polk, Barron, Rusk, St. Croix, Dunn, Chippewa, Pierce, Pepin, and Eau Claire, coordinated by Lyman Brunclik (Slick). The White Zone, Vilas, Forest, Florence, Oneida, Marinette, Lincoln, Langlade, Oconto, Taylor, Marathon, Menominee, Door, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, Brown, Kewaunee, Outagamie, Waushara, Winnebago, Calumet, Manitowoc, Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, and Sheboygan, coordinated by John Barajas(Musket). The Blue Zone, Clarke, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, Wood, La Crosse, Monroe, Juneau, Adams, Vernon, Crawford, Richland, Sauk, Columbia, Dodge, Washington, Ozaukee, Grant, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee, La Fayette, Green, Rock, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha, coordinated by Tony Sanfelipo (Pan).

We were close to our goal of repeal in 1977, and had successful protest rallies that numbered into the thousands, each one having more participants than the previous rally. In order, they occurred in Madison, June 29, Milwaukee, August 24, and again in Madison, September 14, 1975. In 1976, we had a stellar rally in Madison on June 27, and a disaster of a rally in Milwaukee, August 21. We need a favorable vote in the Senate, a hearing and vote in the Assembly, and repeal is ours. The clock is ticking.