Back to the Basics

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is a national organization dedicated to lobbying for those who ride. The MRF has been based in Washington, D.C. since 1987 to have easy access to our nation’s lawmakers, to protect and defend our rights and to address the concerns of motorcycle riders.

For over 30 years, the MRF has been recognized by members of the U.S. Congress and their staff as THE voice of American street riders in our nation’s capital.

My name is Jennifer Dewitz, and I’m your MRF State Rep for Wisconsin. Our team in Wisconsin includes MRF Assistant State Reps Cathy Dial, Dave Dwyer, Bronson Smith, John “Blaze” Erlandson, and Mark Koon.

Our primary job as your MRF Reps is to stay current on legislative issues being addressed by the MRF and to share that information with riders in Wisconsin. We attend meetings around the state, working closely with ABATE of Wisconsin, motorcycle clubs in our state, and other interested riders.

The MRF has always understood that the strength of the motorcyclists’ rights movement lies with local riders, people just like you and your friends. All MRF State Reps come from State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations (SMROs), and we actively promote joining and supporting those groups.

Another important part of our job as State Reps is to sign up new members for the MRF. We believe that only by keeping our SMROs and the MRF strong can we continue to fight and win on behalf of all riders.

Except for a small administrative staff and our full-time lobbyist in Washington, D.C., all the other people involved with the MRF are volunteers. None of us, including the MRF Officers and members of the Board of Directors, are paid. We do what we do because we believe in the MRF and our mission.

Here are but a few of the MRF’s many achievements:

-Stopped federal legislation that would have classified any group of three or more riders wearing similar clothing as a ‘gang.’
-Stopped governmental agencies from using taxpayer dollars to lobby against motorcycling.
-Stopped unfair EPA regulations that would have forced riders to use only ‘Approved OEM’ parts on their bikes.
-Support voluntary rider education efforts to decrease motorcycle accidents and helping rider education programs to obtain government grants.
-Led the effort to repeal federal blackmail laws trying to force states to pass mandatory helmet laws for all riders.
-Continuing to ensure that motorcycles are accounted for in autonomous (self-driving) vehicle designs.
-Stopped unfair insurance provisions targeting motorcyclists.
-Working to stop motorcycle profiling and bogus check points by law enforcement agencies.
-Overturned the ‘superbike’ ban attempting to stop the sale of high-performing motorcycles.

Throughout its history, the MRF has trained many thousands of biker’s rights activists through its annual Meeting of The Minds conference. MRF also organizes the yearly ‘Bikers Inside the Beltway’ grassroots lobbying event – where riders from all over the country go to Washington, D.C. to help fight for their rights.

For more than 30 years, the MRF has led a network of strong motorcyclists’ rights organizations protecting rider’s rights. The MRF has made sure that we can ride the kind of bikes we want to ride, with the people we want to ride with, wearing what we want to wear, on the roads we want to ride, and make the changes to our bikes that we want to make.

I am very proud to be part of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. If I can answer any questions you have about the MRF, please contact me at: MRFRep@ABATEWis.org.

Stay vigilant, my friends!

Jen Dewitz
ABATE of WI.
Board of Directors
MRF State Rep