Legislative Report

By Steve Panten

Well, we finally made it to the official start of summer in Wisconsin! The start of summer starts a whole new season. Campaigning season! This year we have another very important round of elections in the State.  Residents will be voting for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, District Attorney, one Federal Senator, all members of Congress, odd numbered State Senate seats and all of the members of the State Assembly. Do you know who our friends are? Do you remember who helped us with our issues? Do you remember who took the time to meet with us and listen to our concerns? Since candidates are in campaign mode, now is an important time to approach them and introduce yourself.

So you ask… “What are some questions that I can ask them?” Glad you asked! Here some examples:

• How do you feel about requiring motorcyclists over the age 18 with a valid motorcycle endorsement to wear helmets?
• It is illegal to use gas with a higher level of ethanol than E15 in a motorcycle. Would you work to ensure that E10 or lower will always be available in gas stations in the state?
• Who do you feel should own the information in your vehicle? Would you be willing to take on any group that feels that information about where and how you travel should be available to anyone with access?
• Wisconsin is rapidly becoming an important player in autonomous vehicle testing. Would you support legislation to ensure that all road users are being considered in the testing, even if it slows the implementation of these vehicles?
• Is a vehicle with a steering wheel and gas and brake pedals really a motorcycle? Would you be willing to work to update the definition of a motorcycle to say; “If you don’t learn how to operate a vehicle in a motorcycle training course, then it’s not a motorcycle?”

I could fill the front page of this newsletter with other questions to ask, but this is a good start and any candidate will take notice. Remind them that bikers VOTE, and we vote our lifestyle which includes motorcycling.  Speaking of bikers voting, did you know that the partisan primary election will be on August 14th? As you probably know, this will reduce the list of people running down to just one person from every party so time is short to learn about the candidates. Summertime is a great time to get the information since most of the candidates will be at community parades and picnics. And don’t forget to tell them that you are a member of ABATE of Wisconsin. Better yet, wear your ABATE clothes so they can see us everywhere. To see people in ABATE clothes at every public event is a very powerful message.

Let’s talk about Autonomous Vehicles now. Our very own Ric Mellon has been our voice on the Governor’s Steering Committee on Autonomous Vehicles and he has been in an uphill fight since he sat down. Things are moving quickly and the state seems to be fine with letting driverless and connected vehicles on our roads with little to no regulation. While we understand that there may be benefits of having vehicles that “talk” to each other to reduce congestion and provide safety, should it be done without regard to how it will affect other road users? One question that we have is how is the state going to track when one of these vehicles crashes? Right now, it’s voluntary for the vehicle manufacturer to report if the vehicle was in autonomous mode. Is that what we want? I would prefer if the manufacturer was required to report it so we can properly track the impact of these vehicles on our roads. How is an autonomous vehicle going to react when it comes upon an Amish buggy, or a dead deer in the middle of the road, or more importantly, a motorcycle. Thank You for Ric for giving up your valuable personal time to fight for our safety.

ETHANOL: Did you see the “Call to Action” regarding contacting your Federal Representatives to support H.R. 5855? Do you take the 30 seconds to complete the online petition? When we were in Washington DC this was one of the topics that we brought to our Senators and Congressmen. We are asking to ensure that gas with an ethanol level lower than E15 will always be available. Part of this bill also requires the EPA to improve the labels on E15 pumps to educate motorcyclists that it is illegal to use in your bike and using it will most likely violate your warranty. It is also asking them to come up with an educational campaign to get the message out about who can and should use E15. It’s not too late. Look back in your emails and take the time to send it. When you get your response, send it to me because it will count towards earning a Right to Ride patch (3 responses and ABATE will send you an awesome new patch).

Following up on a very safe and successful Bikers Inside the Beltway is the annual Meeting of the Minds Conference. This year it will be held in Denver on September 20^th – 23^rd. ABATE will be sending 10 people on a scholarship. Those people are Chubby, John, Dave Dwyer, Hardtail, Joe and Brenda Stanek, Jerry Mann, Tom Fox, Michelle Nusbaum and myself. Thank You to these members for stepping up to represent ABATE at such an important conference. There is still time for you to join us on your own if you want to check it out. The more the merrier!

One final thing on elections. This year is also an election year for ABATE. Now is the time to vote for District Director and look for voting opportunities for all of our elected officers. Remember that bikers vote.

That’s it