Happy February! I hope
you're enjoying all the pleasant riding weather we've
experienced this Winter so far. Be sure to take
advantage of every opportunity to ride, before the
bottom falls out and we end up with more frigid
temperatures and precipitation. ABATE has been gearing
up for the 2004 Legislative Session beginning February
2, and is ready to go to work on the proposed
Legislation dealing with Failure to Yield, Motorcycle
Safety Awareness Month, and mandatory Lighting/Eyewear
issues described in Holly's Legislative Updates in
previous newsletter issues. Our upcoming ABATE
Legislative Breakfast on Thursday, February 19, will
provide an excellent environment for motorcyclists and
trikers to interact with our elected officials and their
staffs, as well as make new friends in the State House
for Oklahoma's motorcycling community as a significant
number of our Legislators step down due to term limits.
Oh yeah--you hungry types will have a chance to get fed
as well, since we provide donuts, muffins, fresh fruit
and juice for all attendees. The Breakfast will be held
at the State Capitol Fourth Floor Rotunda from 7:30AM to
10:30AM, but be sure to get there a little early, since
the Capitol has just recently installed metal detectors
at all entrances, and bag checks are mandatory for all
that enter the State House. However, don't let that
deter you from wearing your Biker Regalia to the
Capitol, and ride if you can. Let's let the Legislature
hear our thunder in mid-Winter! Besides, when we show
up in our leathers and vests with patches, our Senators
and Representatives are impressed not by how we look,
but by our passion and commitment to the lifestyle we
lead, which makes a much more effective impact than a
paid lobbyist in a suit.
Here's the latest progress
on our Lesislative Issues: Holly Swinford, our
Political Director, had to scramble to get an author to
run the headlight modification language. Rep. Larry
Ferguson agreed to do it, but be advised that it might
not get its own bill number. We may have to attach the
language to another Title 47 Motor Vehicle Safety
Equipment bill. Sen. Sam Helton and Rep. James Covey
will be the principle authors on the bill to increase
penalties for lane violations--this is called "Right of
Way" violations in the Legislature, and everyone here
thinks of the pipelines and bar ditches when they hear
that term, so we have some educating to do. Holly has
contacted the District Attorneys' Council and we hope to
send the increased fines to the DAs. The reason for
this is that, hopefully, they'll be more inclined to
prosecute. The last "bill" will probably be a
Legislative Resolution. Sen. Daisy Lawler and Rep. Mike
Tyler will author a resolution to designate every May as
Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month from now on. That
way, motorcyclist rights activists can proceed early in
the year with a campaign to educate motorists to share
the road, and to remember that motorcycles are an
acceptable, viable, alternative means of regular
transportation, and not just recreational vehicles, in
keeping with the time honored slogan: Look Twice-Save a
Life-Motorcycles Are Everywhere! At this time, there
are no bill numbers assigned, but we'll provide updates
as we get them. Many thanks to Holly for her continued
efforts.
I'd like to express my
heartfelt thanks to all that worked so hard to make our
annual ABATE State Membership Meeting in Tulsa such a
success, and to all motorcyclists and trikers that
attended. The January State Board Meeting went
smoothly, and the Legislative Forum was interesting and
informative, with Rep. Darrell Gilbert of Tulsa
providing a preview of this year's Legislative Session
and tips for being more politically effective, and
candidates for both Houses of U.S. Congress attending to
speak with ABATE members on biker-related issues. After
a spirited Open Format where ABATE members had the
opportunity to air their views, Rogers County Chapter
hosted a Hospitality Room full of delicious munchies,
and we tapped the fatted keg in fellowship and Biker
Freedom (yes, soda pop was provided for the
non-drinkers). Our activities were concluded with the
Chillin' Ponies Band out of Claremore raisin' the roof
of the Hotel Lounge until well past midnight. Everyone
had a terrific time, and our enthusiasm was
infectious--even those that were in town for the Chili
Bowl auto races had a blast with the bikers! All told,
we accomplished our mission of laying the groundwork for
ABATE making a positive impact at the State House this
year. Those of you that were unable to attend missed a
really good time, but you can make up for it by showing
up for our annual Legislative Breakfast, and I'll
forgive you--Ha Ha!
A number of folks recently
spoke to me inquiring as to the incident involving
Congressman William Janklow of South Dakota, and the
result of his manslaughter trial for speeding, blowing
through a stop sign and killing biker Randy Scott. The
case was plastered all over the national news, but I'm
sure some folks have busy enough lives where they might
not have followed the trial (like I don't--Ha Ha!). The
verdict came down on Dec. 8 that Janklow was found
GUILTY on all counts, including felony second-degree
manslaughter. His defense that the wreck was caused by
hypoglycemia and diabetes impairment, termed "goofy" by
the prosecution, didn't convince the jury, especially
when EMTs testified that Janklow stated that he'd
recently eaten to boost his blood sugar and that his
diabetes wasn't causing him trouble. Janklow, who has
resigned his Congressional seat already (convicted
felons, by law, aren't allowed to serve in U.S.
Congress), will have been sentenced by the time you read
this. Sentencing, scheduled for Jan. 20, could bring
him up to 10 years in prison. This verdict confirms
justice being served for one motorcyclist amid SCORES of
similar cases where the perpetrators walk away with
practically no penalty (like 30 days of performing "acts
of kindness and generosity", as happened recently in
Tulsa). Families in our own state are in pain and
demand JUSTICE for their loved ones that have been
violently taken from them by the negligent and
irresponsible that we of the two- and three-wheeled
community have to share the road with. They deserve not
special treatment, but better treatment, EQUAL
treatment, in the courts and under the law, and ABATE,
with your help, is going to continue the fight this year
to see that they get it. I just read my latest issue of
American Motorcyclist magazine, which included an
article on the case and a picture of Randy Scott's
wrecked Road King, and it made mention that throughout
the trial Janklow exhibited a complete lack of remorse,
which I'm not surprised about. The part of the article
that got my attention involved where these incidents
should not be referred to as "accidents", but as
"crashes". The term "accident" implies that what
happened was unavoidable and couldn't be helped, which
is certainly not the case in a frighteningly large
number of incidents involving motorcycles and trikes.
So, I'm never again going to use that term when
describing a bike wreck caused by an irresponsible
motorist--whoever that motorist may be!
Elsewhere in the country,
California's State Assembly threw out a provision in a
proposed Helmet Freedom of Choice Bill that would've
required riders not using helmets to be mandatory organ
donors, and I was very glad to see that. While
enthusiastically supporting organ donorship, I feel that
singling out a specific class of people for MANDATORY
donation of their body parts is unfair, and smacks of
Nazi Germany. It also, in my opinion, cheapens the
special, heartfelt nature of the gift by volunteer organ
donors. That being said, I'd strongly recommend to all
my Brothers and Sisters to carry an Organ Donor Card, or
have the Organ Donor box checked on your driver's
license--you can help save a lot of lives! By now
you've probably heard that South Carolina has approved a
bill legalizing and regulating artistic tattooing, which
would make Oklahoma the ONLY state in the Union where it
is prohibited. As I write this, the bill is awaiting
the Governor's signature. Remember, the Governor can
pull a last-minute trick with a veto like Mel Carnahan
did with Mandatory Helmet Repeal in Missouri. Hey--did
you read where the Carnahan family successfully sued the
airplane manufacturer over the crash that killed the
Governor, his son and chief assistant? They won FOUR
MILLION DOLLARS! O.K., so now Oklahoma is going to be
the only state where artistic tattooing is outlawed.
Question is, what's to be done about it? Our Political
Director and a number of other ABATE members worked hard
for THREE YEARS trying to get SB 44 passed and tattooing
legalized. It'll never happen as long as Rep. Fred
Stanley remains House Public Health Committee chair.
The good news is, Stanley is term-limited, and hopefully
will be replaced by someone more moderate. But, whether
a bill is authored and presented in the Legislature
again or we (and I mean tattoo enthusiasts, NOT ABATE as
an organization) sue the state in court over the ban
being an unconstitutional violation of Freedom of
Artistic Expression, it's going to take money. There's
lots of folks out there that stand to make a bundle in
Oklahoma if tattooing is legalized, and people (like
some of our body-piercing shops) have facilities ready
to go should that happen. Most tattoo artists I've
known (and I've patronized a number of them) don't seem
to have a cash-flow problem, and I think they need to
prioritize their spending. If they desire to freely
operate in Oklahoma, they need to pony up the necessary
money to sponsor lobbying efforts or a lawsuit. ABATE
of Oklahoma received very little financial support when
the SB 44 attempt was made, spearhaded by volunteer
workers that felt it was a Freedom-related issue that
could unify the motorcycling community further.
Personally, I think Holly did, and would continue to do,
a great job of lobbying on this issue, and she'd deserve
to be well-paid for making it happen. The artistic
tattooing community seeking to establish business in our
state can pay the price, because it would be a small
price to pay in the light of how successful (and
profit-making) that business would be. I don't think
quality tattoo establishments outside of Fort Sill,
Tinker/Altus/Vance AFBs, or OU/OSU/Tulsa Universities
would shrivel up and blow away, that's for sure!
Regarding the new Bike
Tags, I just got mine installed recently, as I'm sure a
number of you have already. In truth, I wish I had this
information to publicize in December's issue, so this is
old news, but I just wanted to address the process, and
It micht help someone that couldn't re-register or
that's buying a new bike save a buck or two. First of
all, EVERYBODY has to get new tags, whether or not you
elect to register your bikes at other times during the
year. You have a one-time shot to decide what month you
desire to register your bike in from then on when you
first visit the Tag Agency, and you can register your
bike for anywhere from three to fifteen months. It's
important for you to know that the OTC is employing a
sliding scale of tag fees, and if you choose to renew
for only a few months and then re-register, you're going
to pay more money. For example, my '85 Shovel would've
cost around $25.00 for twelve months, but $17.00 for six
months, and $29.00 for fifteen months. Since it doesn't
take a rocket scientist to figure out that you save the
most amount of money when registering for fifteen
months, I got my tags extended until March, 2005. The
tags are green-and white, like the old ones, and the
same size, but the "OK" is in the middle, with spaces on
the upper right and left for the month and year. Also,
the quality is very inferior--my Tag Agent had to look
through a number of them to find tags that weren't
seriously warped and were painted correctly. At least I
got my tags in numerical sequence. Anyway, that's the
latest on the Staggered Bike Tag registration situation,
and I hope those of you that haven't taken care of your
bikes yet have more knowledge with which to make an
appropriate decision. I'm sure the Tag Agencies are
going to try to exploit this arrangement to make a
maximum amount of profit off us, so be good consumers
when you renew, and make your best deal. Additionally,
I have information regarding the obtaining of
Handicapped Motorcycle Tags for disabled riders, thanks
to Carmaletta. The majority of tag Agencies won't carry
them right now, since they can pick and choose as to
what services they provide, and there's no extra fees
involved here for them to make money from. I don't
think that's fair, but that's just the way it is. You
can obtain Handicapped Bike Tags by going to the
Oklahoma Tax Commission Department of Motor Vehicles,
located on N.E. 28th St., west of Lincoln Blvd. in
Oklahoma City--you can obtain the phone number by
looking it up in the State Government Blue Pages in the
phone book. You'll need to provide your Title Number,
VIN Number, current Tag Number, and Handicapped Placard
Number (you'll also probably need to furnish your
Driver's License and Proof of Insurance--you know, the
usual stuff). There's also a specific Handicapped tag
form that'll need to be filled out and signed by the
individual. Going to the OTC is the fastest way to
complete the process--you can mail in the form and
accompanying information, but it'll take over six weeks
to receive your tags. I hope this information helps
folks that are considering obtaining these new tags that
were just permitted last year, thanks to the efforts of
Freedom-loving riders, disabled and otherwise.
Well, that's it for now,
so I'll bring this article to a close. I'll look
forward to seeing a large turnout of my riding family
for the Legislative Breakfast at the State House Feb 19,
as we once again remind the Legislature of how much
motorcycles and trikes add to improving the motoring
Qualiity of Life in the Sooner State. I'd like to thank
the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs, of which ABATE is a
member organization, for their continued support of
ABATE and Biker Freedom in 2004. The Confederation is
dedicated to promoting unity and more productive working
relationships among all of Oklahoma's motorcycle clubs,
organizations and associations as we work together to
enhance and defend Bikers' Rights in the Legislature and
in the courts. We enjoyed a successful meeting in
January, with over 27 organizations paying their dues as
Confederation members this year. The Confederation
meets the first Sunday every other month at 1:00PM, and
all are invited. The next meeting will be held March 7
at the American Legion hall near Garnett Rd. in Tulsa.
Last month, I thanked a number of ABATE's members that
worked very hard to make our Organization successful.
One of our Unsung Heroes I forgot to mention is Richard
Weber, our State Website webmaster. Dick keeps a very
busy schedule between working his regular job and his
motorcycle training responsibilities--he is a certified
Motorcycle Training Instructor, and runs Motorcycle
Education of Oklahoma. He can always be counted upon to
keep a well-run website full of current, interesting and
valuable information for our motorcycling community, and
deserves a vote of thanks from all of us. While I'm
discussing computer-related issues, we've updated the
latest officer names, meeting times, and website
addresses for COD, Muskogee, Rogers County, Sunset and
Tulsa Chapters for 2004. If anyone else has updated
informaton to include, please send it to us right away.
Tiger's Tip O' The Month: With our increased focus on
Failure to Yield legislation, it's not a bad idea to
remember that there are a LOT of homicidal maniacs on
Oklahoma's roadways, and driving with a defensive
mind-set every time we throw a leg over our sleds can
greatly contribute to our survival out there. Always
use your mirrors and head-check, and not just when
changing lanes. Constantly check both mirrors to watch
out for those speeders darting in and out of traffic
that can clip you and move on. Keep in the middle or
right lane for both maximum deconfliction and
maneuverability. Expect a higher number of the
irresponsible and reckless out at night, and especially
between Friday night and early Sunday morning, and on
Holiday weekends. Also, if a motorist has made up his
mind to pass you on a solid line (especially on a hill),
that person has already made up his mind to KILL YOU,
because if an oncoming vehicle appears, they're
certainly not going to get in a head-on, and they're not
going to swerve left and run off the road into a ditch
or tree. They're going to come right and take you out,
which in my mind constitutes premeditation--that's why I
consider those types of drivers that kill bikers as
murderers, pure and simple. Being aware of the threats
out there doesn't mean you're paranoid--being defensive
increases your chances of getting home in one piece.
Have a Happy Valentines Day with your loved ones, party
responsibly during Mardi Gras, Ride Free and Safely, and
I'm sure I'll encounter you on the highways and byways
of this great state of ours.
Keep It On The Black Strip
Between The Trees,
Tiger Mike