It’s Election Time Again!

by Steve Panten

August 13th is the Primary Election to narrow the ballot down to one person from each party to be on the ballot in November. Do you know who is on your ballot? How do they feel about the push to require all new vehicles to be electric? Do they believe that a consumer should have the choice to purchase a vehicle with a fuel source that is appropriate for their needs and budget based on their own research, or do they feel that a government agency should dictate what you must buy?

Elections are a citizen’s opportunity to have a voice in who they think will lead in a manner that they feel will benefit them best. Whether it’s a State, Federal or even a local election, it’s all about the principles that you believe in. For me, protecting the freedoms that I get from motorcycling is a big factor in how I vote. I know where the candidates in my area stand on the issues that are important to me, and I did not need a commercial, email or text to tell me. I spoke to them about it. Looking a person in the eye and asking them at a Town Hall meeting, picnic or at an ABATE meeting is the best way for me.

Thanks to Becky Zarling from 3B and Duke and Rachel from 3A, I was able to meet 3 of the 4 candidates running for the Congressional District 8 seat that is open because of Congressman Gallagher’s decision to step down. They invited the candidates, one at a time, to their region meetings and I was lucky enough to be able to attend. This meeting is important for me to introduce myself as someone who will be visiting them in their new office in Washington D. C., and it was a great discussion. If we really step back and think about it…..why would a candidate for Congress want to come to a meeting to talk to a bunch of motorcyclists when they can attend larger events and gatherings? We are very good at what we do, and we earned the respect of these candidates. Motorcyclists vote. Do you? We are very knowledgeable about what is important to motorcyclists and how important it is to protect motorcycling in the state, and the candidates realize that. It is so important that we stay focused on the issues and present them in a manner that makes it important for them. And we are very good at that.

Earlier in my article I said that elections are an opportunity for citizens to have a voice in who they think will lead in a manner that they feel will benefit them, remember? Maybe you can go back and reread that if you missed it…kinda like fact checking me. Anyway, recently the Federal Supreme Court overturned the Chevron Deference. You may have heard about this, where it is now saying that courts can determine if policy that is drafted by government agencies is really within the power of that agency. This is something that we are going to have to watch very closely. The Chevron Deference was drafted because legislators do not have the time to do the research to draft policy on certain topics, thereby leaving it up to the agencies to decide. Now, the courts get to decide. A recent example of where this may have helped us is when the CDC determined a few years ago that operating a motorcycle without a

helmet is a disease. Is that really within the scope of that agency when we already have the DOT, NHTSA and the NTSB already investigating crashes to determine safety measure? Like I said, we are going to have to watch this.

Last month John Reblin and I met with people from the State DOT to discuss cutting the grass along the highways. Recently we have been hearing reports of motorcycle/deer crashes and near misses because the rider did not see the deer until it was on the road. We have been sent pictures from some parts of the state where the grass at the edge of the road is up to the bottom the signs. That would make it very difficult for any driver to be able to react to a deer running out. The DOT said they have funding to cut  the grass once a year and divide the state into 3 parts and cut the grass accordingly. The lower part of the state is slated to be cut by July 1st, the middle part by July 15th and the norther section by the end of July. They cut 15 feet, or to the bottom the ditch every year, and then every 3 years they cut back 30ft. They admitted that they sometimes fall behind and don’t always make those self-imposed deadlines a priority, but this year, with all the rain it has been more difficult to get it done. We asked where the July deadlines came from and asked if something could be done since June is the number one month for  motorcycle/deer crashes. Cutting grass at the end of July is not going to help us. They listened to our concerns and suggested options like, they have a spray they can use to slow the growth or budget more money to do the 30ft cutting more often.

They have their own obstacles in that they need to work with the DNR and the Tribes on when and how certain areas can be cut. The DOT has an agreement with the DNR to protect plants during pollination times in some areas so any changes would need to be agreed upon by those groups as well. They did say that having the facts about motorcycle crashes in June and this being a safety issue, may get their  cooperation. We will continue to have discussions with them and hopefully we can make it easier for motorcyclists to see and react to deer running into the road.

Last month, I joined 2 other ABATE Board Members and one State Officer at a BR2 experienced rider training class with Safe Rider. I have never taken this course before, so I was not sure what to expect, but I realized that my skills may not be what they once were. If you have never taken this class, I highly recommend it. Nobody was there to judge you; their goal is help you be the best rider that you can be. I was very happy with what I learned and cannot thank my instructors enough. It was very hot, but they stuck it out with us and made sure that we were all comfortable doing the lessons. Rider training happens every time that you take a motorcycle out is a great takeaway from that class.

This year, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s Meeting of the Minds will be held in St. Louis on September 26th – 29th. ABATE of Wisconsin has scholarships available to send members to learn from other motorcycle rights organizations from across the nation. The scholarship will cover your registration, hotel, and travel expenses. Upon returning form the conference, you will need to submit a report about the conference and how it helped you. If you would like to be considered for a scholarship, please let me know before the next ABATE Board meeting on August  11th. We will pick who the recipients are on that day.

Time for final thoughts. Congratulations to Jay Jackson, the State Coordinator for ABATE of Indiana and Vice President of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, for being chosen to represent motorcyclists on the Federal Motorcycle Advisory Council. The purpose of the MAC is to provide a critical forum for policymakers, roadway engineers, and motorcyclists to discuss how roadway and barrier design, construction and maintenance practices and intelligent transportation systems can better meet the safety needs of the millions of motorcyclists in this country. Having a true motorcyclist who has dedicated much of his life to protecting motorcyclists in this country is exactly what we need on this council.

And finally, remember the meeting with the DOT that I mentioned earlier? John reached out to the Department of Transportation Secretary to ask for a meeting to discuss the topic of grass cutting on the highway and they sent 7 people to the meeting. 7 people to sit down with the motorcyclists to discuss this one issue is incredible. We had the Assistant to the Secretary, the people in charge of highway maintenance, members from the motorcycle safety programs, and even someone from the budget office. It shows the respect that ABATE of Wisconsin and its members have with the Department of Transportation. That was exciting. We need everyone to work together to create a safe and enjoyable environment for motorcycling in the State of Wisconsin.

Vote on August 13th!

That’s it,

Steve