We Did This Before

Primary elections are over and now we know who will be on the ballot in November. This election was just as important as the November election will be. Many candidates that support our issues have competition and we needed to help them. I know many of you helped with campaigns, or made donations, but did we do enough to help them? With the General Election coming up in November we need to make sure that we know how the candidates feel about giving the consumer the ability to purchase the type of engine that they want in their vehicle or device. Or are they willing to help us to protect the only fuel that the EPA says is legal to use in our motorcycles?

Recently we have been hearing from some people that we are just pushing fear in our positions about protecting combustion engines as well as other parts of our agenda. Let’s try to clear some of this up. In 2020, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed regulations that all passenger cars and trucks need to be electric by 2035. Currently, 17 states have adopted the new CARB Standard for passenger cars. Wisconsin has typically adopted the standard but has not yet done so, it’s coming. In our meetings with the State Department of Transportation they have discussed plans on where to build new charging stations with money set aside by the Federal Government. It is coming. The question is when, and if it will be mandated or if they will just let the market control when a consumer is ready to make the decision based on their own research and budget. We are not opposed to seeing technology advance and finding another fuel source, but let’s not force anyone to comply with a technology that is not appropriate for their needs.

Protecting E10 or less is another important issue for us but is it really in jeopardy of going away? Remember last year when we had to testify against a bill that would have required all new gas stations, on new sites, to sell a minimum of E15 for the first five years they are in business? The State was willing to give a grant to help offset the cost of installing the required equipment to handle E25, and in return, they needed to sell at least E15. Again, it’s coming.

Finding a way to protect the only fuel the EPA says is legal for us to use is a major part of our legislative agenda for the next year. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is working with members of the Federal Government to stop the EPA’s CAFÉ Standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy). So, while they are working on stopping the EPA from mandating regulations similar to what came out of California, we are working with our state legislators to give consumers the right to decide but not adopt the 2020 CARB Standards.

Speaking of Protecting E10 or less, last month John Reblin and I met with Representative Penterman’s staff and bill drafters, to figure out language for a piece of legislation to do just that in Wisconsin. Right now, we are considering drafting a bill that would require any business who is getting grants from the state to install higher ethanol dispensing equipment, to install at least one pump that is E10 or less. We have not seen the draft, and there is nothing that can be done with it until January when the new legislature is sworn in, but now is the time to get started on it.

Representative Penterman is also interested in drafting a Right to Repair bill for us. We are very early on with these discussions, but the language that we are interested in is what is proposed in Congress, H.R. 906. While a few states have passed right to repair bills, they range from electronics to farm equipment. The State of California actually has the best language, but for right now we are only focused on vehicle repairs. We already have partners in a few of the aftermarket auto parts stores and their partners. Napa Auto sent out a Call to Action to its partners to contact their Congress members to support H.R. 906. This is a partnership that would really help us in Wisconsin.

Representative Penterman reached out to us with his wish to work on these pieces of legislation, and it was directly because of members showing up at Lobby Day this year. The staff member said that after the meeting, he said that he wanted to help us and now they have time to do it. I cannot stress enough how important these Lobby Day meetings are, and I want to thank the members in his district for the awesome job they did presenting the information.

So how do the candidates running in your area’s elections feel about these issues? The bill drafters are already working on this language so if they get elected, will they support it? You have a little over 2 months to learn their position before you go to the polling place in November. Invite the candidates to a meeting and ask them. How about asking the candidates running in your local elections? As a former elected Town Board member, I personally know that candidates want to hear from local elected officials. It is a great opportunity to see if we have their support as a local office is commonly a steppingstone for state and federal candidates.

Speaking of elections, it is also an election year for ABATE of Wisconsin. All regions will be having elections for Region Reps and the state has elections for the members of Board of Directors and other officer positions. Do your research and reach out to the candidates to see how they are going to help our organization grow and be successful. Read the bios for the State Officer positions in this newsletter and if you have any questions, reach out to them to learn more. Most importantly, be sure to vote.

Final thoughts…October 12th is our “Rally at the Capitol” along with our 50th Anniversary celebration. It is going to be a fun and interesting weekend. We will have many past executive officers and people who shaped our organization for the past 50 years available to tell their stories. I am still amazed, as I am of the United States Constitution, that without having any idea of what the future was going to look like, these early members had the vision of what we needed to be the best motorcycle rights organization in the nation. The headliner of the weekend will be a ride to the Capitol for a short rally to show everyone in Madison that bikers have a united voice and that we are not going away without a fight. Are you going? This rally is absolutely the place to be on October 12th. The ride leaves the Sheraton Hotel on John Nolen Dr. in Madison at 3 PM and we will be done by 5 PM, so if all you want to do is support that part of the weekend, grab 100 of your closest friends and join us! We did this before back in 1974 to get ABATE started, and we can do it again to show we are united on protecting our rights and freedoms.

We will not go away without a fight.

That’s it,

Steve