MRF Rep Report

By the time you read this, the Heartland S.T.E.A.M. conference will be in the books. Over a year of research, hard work, some sleepless nights, thousands of emails, phone calls and text messages. Some struggles and some elation. Putting together an event of this caliber is an amazing experience. I can’t thank the members of the S.T.E.A.M. team enough for hanging in there and always managing to find the positive in each unique situation and coming up with creative ways to make things work!

Over 50 people stepped up to help make the S.T.E.A.M. conference a success. And I couldn’t be prouder of everyone that did! I look forward to the articles of those on scholarship to see the unique perspectives on the event and what each person learned.

And since there’s never a dull moment, we are now making plans to attend the 12th annual Michael “Boz” Kerr Bikers Inside the Beltway in Washington D.C. May 17—18th. This event is sponsored by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and is the ONLY National Motorcycle Lobby Day held in our nation’s Capitol. Motorcyclists from all over the country ride to D.C. to help educate members of Congress about the issues facing motorcyclists today. ABATE of WI has offered to scholarship eight individuals who would like to attend BITB, one person from each congressional district. Others are always welcome to join as well.

Just like ABATE of WI, the MRF creates a legislative agenda every year and BITB is when we discuss our agenda with our legislators. Topics for 2021 include motorcycle only checkpoints and profiling, autonomous vehicles and how they interact with motorcycles, emission regulations, opposing any mandatory federal helmet law, and ownership of the data collected by “black boxes”.

If you aren’t already, be sure to become a member of the MRF in 2021. Whether you are an ABATE member, a club member, a lone wolf, or whatever, we need to stay in the fight together to continue to ride free.

And as always, stay vigilant, my friends!