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TIGER TALES - FEBRUARY, 2008

 Greetings to our Riding Community, and I hope you're surviving another crazy Oklahoma Winter!  The New Year started out with a very cold day for a traditional putt on January First, but the temperature made it into the 70s a week later.  There were bikes all over the place when I made it up to Muskogee on January 6 for the Oklahoma Confederation Of Clubs meeting.  It was great to meet up with around 200 Bikers representing all backgrounds as we started addressing issues to help improve the lot of Oklahoma Motorcyclists in 2008.  ABATE continues to be a member organization of the Confederation, and to function as its political arm as all member groups work together to defend Biker Freedom in our state.  You can obtain more information as to upcoming Confederation activities by checking out www.oklahomacoc.com  I'm still very proud to serve as the OK Confederation's Liaison for this year, and appreciate the continued confidence placed in me and in our Organization.  In that vein, I had opportunity to focus on ABATE's Legislative Agenda, which we'll advance February 19 at our Annual Legislative Breakfast.  With our Confederation being a member of the National Coalition Of Motorcyclists (NCOM), we also addressed nationwide Freedom-related issues such as eliminating Anti-Biker Discrimination.  It's not right that someone should be denied access to a facility solely because that person is riding a motorcycle or is dressed as a Biker!  NCOM is currently working with members of California's Congressional Delegation to craft Civil Rights Legislation which would address this issue, so stand by for development updates. 

 We also talked about the NTSB push for nationwide Mandatory Helmet Laws in all the states, generated at the behest of the NHTSA, and that representatives from both NCOM and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) are working together to attempt to educate the Federal Bureaucracy as to why this is an imprudent course of action for them to take.  At the very least, these agencies need to know why we'll continue to energetically fight Mandatory Helmet Laws wherever the threat appears!  We're also looking to see HIPAA Federal Legislation passed, an issue spearheaded by the MRF, which would prohibit discrimination by Health Insurers in the workplace against those identified as engaging in what the Insurance Industry terms "Risky Behaviors" (like Motorcycling, Skydiving, use of Personal Watercraft, Horseback Riding, etc.), and "Right To Repair" Legislation allowing individuals and independent repair shops access to procedures, tools and information presently only available at dealerships. You can obtain more detailed information regarding these legislative proposals by logging onto www.mrf.org  NCOM's going to provide an excellent forum for discussion of these topics at the annual NCOM Convention, taking place May 8-11 at the Sheraton George Bush International Airport Hotel in Houston, TX.  This event, hosted by several Texas Motorcyclist Rights Organizations and the NINE Texas Confederations Of Clubs, is shaping up to be one of our biggest Conventions ever, so Pre-Register early!  You can obtain an event flyer and additional Convention information by checking out the NCOM Website at: www.aimncom.com <http://www.aimncom.com>   Also on the National Scene, we were hopeful that ABATE of Nebraska would finally achieve the victory of overturning their Helmet Law, but I found out January 15 that that effort failed by only TWO VOTES--and those were politicians who changed their minds at the last minute after agreeing to support ABATE!  This is as close as Nebraska Freedom Fighters have come to passing Freedom of Choice as they have in a long while, and I hope their momentum will continue with next year's attempt.  Until then, it'll be my express pleasure not to spend ONE RED CENT of my tourist dollars in the Cornhusker State if I can help it.  Let's continue to stand in solidarity with our Biker Neighbors in the plains and provide them with moral support, until the fight is eventually won.

 With it being February, it's now time for us in ABATE to embark upon our 2008 Legislative campaign.  Our membership was able to focus on a number of important items at the ABATE of Oklahoma General Membership Meeting, which took place January 12 at the Quartz Mountain Resort in Lone Wolf, north of Altus.  Members from eight of our ten active Chapters were able to take part.  For those who have never been to that part of the state, it's in a beautiful location by the Wichita Mountains and Lake Altus, with twisting roads through the canyons--truly a fine place to ride!  The Central Lodge features a bunch of original Native American artwork, the restaurant had pretty good food, and I spied a number of American Bald Eagles roosting in trees and soaring over the lake.  Our Great Plains of Altus ABATE Chapter hosted the event again, and provided some delicious munchies along with a frosty keg in the Hospitality Room, with Lucy from Altus making her famous brisket again.  We conducted our first 2008 State Board Meeting on Saturday morning, where we formally invested our ABATE State Officers for the 2008-2009 term, including Garry "Two R" Canaday and Brook Bullock, our new Sergeant-at-Arms and Secretary respectively.  ABATE appreciates their volunteering to defend Biker Freedom as we continue to work on motorcyclists' behalf.  The afternoon's General Membership Meeting featured Rep. David Braddock from Altus as the Keynote Speaker.  Dave is an avid Motorcyclist and also is an ABATE Member, and repeatedly has supported pro-Motorcycling issues at the Capitol.  As I've stated before, it's nice to have Biker-Friendly legislators in the State House, but far more important to have Legislators who ride their own, as they share a common core of experience with the rest of us.  Holly, our Political Director, outlined our Legislative Agenda and shared Political Strategy, and Paul Brinker, our State Safety Officer, presented a Safety Seminar which included the latest (2006) published Motorcycle Accident Statistics for Oklahoma.  I was very interested to learn that, as of 2006, we have over 93,000 motorcycles and trikes registered in Oklahoma--that's an increase of around 13,000 vehicles over the previous year!  Can you imagine what a force we could be for change if only a tenth of those owners were politically active?  I'm willing to bet that the state's registered bike count will be over One Hundred Thousand when the 2007 numbers come out.  Additionally, John Pierce from the Tulsa Chapter presented an informative seminar on Improving and Retaining Local ABATE Membership.  For those who don't know him, John is one of our newest members, recently moved to Oklahoma from Tennessee, where he was very active in CMT/ABATE.  He's a longtime Biker who also serves as Membership Director of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF).  Welcome, John, and thanks very much for participating.  We concluded with an Open Format Town-Hall session where individual ABATE Members aired their views, made comments and shared ideas on how to improve our Organization.

 After a productive Membership Meeting, it was time to enjoy the Hospitality Room, and we had a really good After-Party, with "DJ Junkie" spinning tunes and providing Karaoke (isn't that Japanese for "Drunk With A Microphone"?) and we gave away a bunch of Door Prizes.  We also held an auction, and Carmaletta from the Central OK District rode home with a couple of beautiful pieces of Sapphire Jewelry.  My Altus ABATE Family surprised me with a plush Red Tiger in a Biker Vest--I'm going to need to get an Electra-Glide or a Gold Wing so I can bungee it on the Tour-Pak!!  Larry from the Christian Motorcyclist Association provided a Spiritual Service on Sunday Morning, then everybody headed their separate ways, ready to tackle another year of challenges facing riders in the Sooner State.  Many thanks to our Altus Chapter members, especially Paul and Helen Cohn, Angie and Lucy, who labored mightily to ensure that everyone was comfortable, and that all logistics for the event were covered.  It looked like those ABATE Members who attended had a good time, although every year I wish we would have more members show up.  Each year, the Membership Meeting proves to be both educational and informative, with a terrific party at the end.  Those who were unable to be there missed a terrific time, and we certainly missed you!  

 The 2008 Legislative Session will officially kick off this month with Governor Brad Henry's "State Of The State" address, but we in ABATE are officially launching our 2008 campaign at the annual ABATE Legislative Breakfast on Tuesday, February 19, 7:30AM-10:30AM at the State Capitol Fourth Floor Rotunda.  As I've previously mentioned, we need hundreds of our Riding Community to lobby their Legislators and demonstrate what Biker Power is all about, so be sure to enter this event on your calendar, tell your friends, wear your leathers and patches, ride if you can and plan to join us!  For those who haven't been before, ABATE of Oklahoma has, for over fifteen years now, hosted the entire Oklahoma State Legislature and their staffs to breakfast in the State House.  It's a tremendous opportunity to get to know your Legislators and discuss with them issues important to you.  We schedule the Breakfast when the Legislators won't be in session all day, so you can schedule some one-on-one time with your Senator or Representative.  Additionally, we'll have ABATE Members with computers there, so if you don't know who your Legislators are, you can provide us with your address and we can inform you what your Legislative District is, along with the office and contact information for your elected officials.  Remember what we're pushing for this year: we're re-introducing our Red Light Bill (modeled after the Texas Law passed last year), which will allow motorcyclists whose bikes don't trigger the light to turn green at controlled intersections to stop and proceed if safe to do so.  Don't forget that Rep. Skye McNiel, who withdrew her Helmet Law proposal on our advice last year, is going to be our primary author for this bill, so be sure to thank her for doing so.  We're also continuing to support the "Brittanie Montgomery/Jeffery Smith Law", Rep. Paul Wesselhoft's bill to increase penalties for those causing death or injury from using hand-Held Cell Phones while driving. We've made further progress with Sen. Sean Burge on clarifying Title 47 regarding use of auxiliary lighting (spotlights) along with headlights on motorcycles.  Ideally, we'll get this re-written without any problems so riders won't be ticketed for increasing their visibility.  We're also supporting, in conjunction with the Trucking Industry, "Right To Repair" legislation on the State level, which would allow individuals and independent shops access to tools, procedures and diagnostic equipment exclusively the province of dealerships--our philosophy is that everyone has the right to work on their own motor vehicle!  With us paying a severe "Butcher's Bill" in Oklahomans killed or injured by irresponsible motorists in 2007, we're still investigating increasing "Jaggers' Law" penalties, even though a bill hasn't been submitted.  As you can see, we've got big doings planned for a short month (even with an extra day for Leap Year!), so get involved in defending your Rights and join ABATE if you haven't done so!  Also, be sure to Register to Vote if you haven't yet, since the Oklahoma Primary Elections are almost upon us. 

 Well, I'm going to wrap it up for another month, and settle down for a Long Winter's Nap!  Take care of each other, and continue to Ride Free and Safely.  Tiger's Tip O' The Month: I see hearty souls on two- and three wheels in Oklahoma throughout the year, and it warms my heart to see that nothing stops them from doing what they love!  Even with the skies sunny and no precipitation, ice can be treacherous in the middle of Winter when the temperatures are well below freezing, especially around intersections and driveways.  Moisture which has re-frozen and collected water turned to ice due to burst pipes or other leakage causes widespread slick spots which can come up suddenly and are sometimes unavoidable.  Be especially vigilant, and if you can't steer around them, avoid radical maneuvering, keep your speed slower and constant, don't jam on the brakes and look where you want to go.  Also, we still have some post-Toy Run group rides coming up this Winter, like the OKC H.O.G. "CA Run" this month, and the weather, conditions and large numbers should motivate you to ride in staggered formation, even if you're around experienced riders.  Don't sacrifice your Margin of Safety!  I hope this snapshot of what's coming up has been informative--keep warm through the rest of the Winter, take good care of your Sweetie this Valentine's Day, and we'll visit again as Spring draws closer and the Road beckons!