Things have gotten exciting in the Sooner State over the past month, and almost all of the key pieces of legislation that ABATE of Oklahoma has been tracking have been addressed.  Here's some thumbnail sketches of the bills we're following, and their latest bill status:

 

Our Careless Driving legislation, known as "Jaggers' Law", became designated SB 1929.  Jaggers' Law was originally left off the calendar, but was been given a new designator, and is proceeding through channels.  The bill had been voted out of House Committee with a "DO PASS" recommendation, made its way to the House Floor, and I'm proud to report that it was approved by the entire Oklahoma House of Representatives on April 19!   The title is on the bill, and it's been enrolled by the Senate, which means it should go to Gov. Henry's office for signature sometime in mid-June.  I expect that when it's signed, it won't have an Emergency Designator included, which means it'll go into effect on November 1.  The process is NOT over until the bill is signed, so Oklahoma riders are encouraged to call the Governor's office, thank him for the good job he's been doing, and politely recommend that he sign Jaggers' Law, SB 1929, into law.  This is as close as we've come to getting this important legislation on the books, so you can bet I'll be notifying all Oklahoma riders as soon as it's signed!  Many thanks to Holly Swinford, our Political Director, for all the hard work she's put in on this important issue.  Over the last month, West Virginia and Iowa have passed their similar legislation, and their bills have been signed into law by their respective Governors.  That makes the count nine states that have passed legislation in keeping with the AMA's "Justice For All" campaign.  With a little luck, Oklahoma will get SB 1929 signed (the third time for us would definitely be the charm), and we'll become State Number Ten!  As an SMRO leader who has put in a LOT of hours on this issue, I'll be very glad for us to have achieved the victory.  The underlying reason for Careless Driving legislation is PREVENTIVE DETERRENCE, and Motorcycling Rights Activists in states where this legislation has been passed have every reason to be proud of what they have accomplished.  If inattentive, careless, negligent drivers get slam-dunked with increased penalties and the death and injury rates go down for EVERYBODY they share the Road with, then the legislation has achieved a positive result.  Motorcyclists aren't seeking special treatment in this area--we're seeking EQUAL treatment under the law.  That's why we've included ALL that share the Road as beneficiaries of this type of legislation--that and the fact that we stand a MUCH better chance of getting the legislation passed if it is all-inclusive.  Everyone victimized by negligent drivers--Bikers, pedestrians, whoever--has families, loved ones and friends who are also victimized by these irresponsible motorists, and the carnage MUST stop!  If encouraging more responsible driving in this manner will help reduce deaths and injuries, then our considerable efforts have been worthwhile.

SB 1830, the ATV Helmet Bill that exists as a possible Mandatory Universal Helmet Law threat, passed out of the House Health and Human Services Committee with the title still off the bill, and is in a state of flux.  This is the bill over 400 Oklahoma motorcyclists showed up to oppose at the ABATE Freedom Rally on March 15.  The bill calls for parity with the street riding community: that is, riders of ATVs, dirt bikes, mini-bikes and scooters under 18 would be required to wear helmets, or their parents would be liable for misdemeanor prosecution.  There is currently a provision that will exempt farm families and vehicles ridden for "Agricultural Purposes".  In committee, Rep. Darrell Gilbert offered an amendment that would have restricted the requirement to public lands, but the amendment failed.  The enacting clause was also taken off the bill, and that means that it's DEFINITELY going to Conference Committee (the committee composed of House and Senate members that re-writes bill verbiage and gets titles back on them so they can be voted on by the full House or Senate).  With a little luck, the bill will not get signed out of committee, and it will die.  We need to monitor this bill's progress closely until the Third Reading deadline of April 28, to make sure it doesn't come out of Conference Committee as a MANDATORY UNIVERSAL HELMET LAW proposal.  If it does, it'll have that in the title, and we'll have to come up with hundreds of Registered Voters to urge the bill be voted down, or to demand that Governor Henry veto it if it passes.  Here's something interesting: I was called by one of my ABATE Board Members, and she informed me that Rep. Newport (himself an avid street motorcyclist) successfully included amendments to SB 1830 that would: a. Not only require helmets for ATV  riders under 18, but "require FULL BODY ARMOR at all times for children under 18 if a FIREARM is present in the household"; b. "Require  helmets, knee pads and elbow pads if using playground apparatus including but not limited to, monkey bars and swing sets"; and that c. "these requirements be included in the bill's title".  I believe these amendments are designed to make a point, in that they're so ridiculous that they've been purposely included to ensure the bill's defeat--keep your fingers crossed!

 

SB 1472, the Road Hazard Signage bill which would require posting "Motorcyclists Use Caution" warning signs in construction zones where metal plates, gravel, or grooved pavement is present, has passed out of its House committee also, after being overwhelmingly approved in the Senate by a vote of 44-0, but is going to be withdrawn.  Now, don't fly off the handle--there's a reason behind this.   The Chief Engineer from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation came to speak at our ABATE State Board Meeting in April, and urged us to help get the bill withdrawn, and that they have issued a directive that the black-and-white rectangular motorcyclist warning signs be used.  Their position is that, should SB 1472 be passed, it would add a number of additional signs to their inventory, increasing confusion and costing a lot of additional Oklahoma Tax Dollars.  We informed ODOT that, even though we rarely see the warning signs used in Oklahoma on roadways other than the Turnpikes, we'd give them a year to get municipalities, counties and the state to get signs up--otherwise, we'd make sure the legislation got passed in 2007.  HOWEVER, the bill's Senate authors informed us that the bill was a good one, that they put a lot of work into it, and they intended to see the process through to completion.  So the Legislature wants to ensure that more visible "Motorcyclists Use Caution" Warning Signs be posted on the state's roadways--far be it from us to complain about that!   ODOT eventually persuaded the bill's authors to withdraw the legislation, subject to the conditions I've just mentioned.  So, we'll wait and see what develops over the next year, and act accordingly in 2007  One thing ODOT did give us this past weekend was the central phone number for riders to call in Road Hazards: it's 405-521-2557.  If you call in an existing Road Hazard anywhere in Oklahoma to this number, ODOT will investigate it and prioritize its repair.  ABATE intends to post this Road Hazard number on Motorcycling Awareness billboards we want to erect at several entrances to the state in the near future.  This'll be done in conjunction with publicizing May as Motorcycle Awareness Month, which is the law in Oklahoma, and we'll once again receive the annual Proclamation from the Governor urging all to watch out for motorcycles, and Share the Road