Jr. Patriot Report

by John Stumpner

The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” What this means is that if a citizen thinks a law or government action is unfair, that citizen can ask that the law or action be changed. This can either take the form of lobbying the legislative or executive branch or using the judicial branch to take the government to court. The United States is the only country in the world that guarantees its citizens that right.

Since its beginnings in the 1970’s, ABATE of Wisconsin has been using this right to insure the Freedom of the Road for bikers. At that time, as many of you know, ABATE members lobbied heavily for the Legislature to give bikers the freedom of choice as to what safety gear they chose to use. Since that time, ABATE has petitioned to keep unfair laws from being passed and to see to the passage of laws improving the safety and enjoyment of the roads for all bikers.

This month, on March 21, ABATE members will once again exercise their right to petition by going to the State Capitol to ask our Legislature to continue to protect the freedom of the road. While no one is against electric cars, they are at this time expensive and not practical for many transportation users. Some states have required their citizens to use electric vehicles by a certain date without considering the many economic and personal problems it will cause. ABATE of Wisconsin is going to ask the Legislature to make sure that practical and inexpensive energy, including fossil fuels, will always be available to the citizens of Wisconsin.

Most industries collect information on how their products are working to make them better. In many industries, this data is required by the government to protect public safety. ABATE of Wisconsin is also going to ask that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation be held responsible for the data collection on the use and performance of self-driving cars, in particular doing thorough crash investigations when one of these type vehicles is involved in an accident.

Hopefully, you will be able to join us on Lobby Day (Tuesday, March 21) to help petition our Legislature to ensure the safety and freedom of the road for bikers. If you are able to take a day off from school and join us, we will have a special handout for you to take home with you. You can use this handout to show your friends and teachers what ABATE is all about and how you were exercising your rights as a citizen of Wisconsin and the United States.

John