Here are a couple of quick Legislative Updates: First, HB 1686, the ATV Helmet Bill making helmets mandatory for riders under 18, passed the full State Senate. It now has to go back to the House for approval of Senate amendments. This is a much watered down version that applies only to State Parks.  There is no Agricultural Exemption, and there is no application regarding Private Property.  We in ABATE feel that we've done the best we could in minimizing the threat to Motorcycling Freedom for adult riders in the Sooner State this year, and we thank all of you for your continued support.  Additionally, Rep. Ken Lutrell of Ponca City informs me that the language for our Red Light Bill has just been put back in HB 1606 which passed the Senate April 23.  I thought this bill was dead: now I'm confident that this bill will be passed and signed into law by the end of the Legislative Session.  Rep. Lutrell states: "Congratulations and thank you all for help with this bill". Thank YOU, Ken Lutrell, for going to bat for us to help get this bill through!  On the National Scene, Missouri and Tennessee are as close to legislating Freedom Of Choice as they've been in a long while, and we might have very good news to celebrate by this time next month.  Other states such as North Carolina and Michigan also have Helmet law Repeal legislation still alive.  Conversely, New Hampshire and Wyoming riders have just been threatened with Mandatory Universal Helmet Law Proposals in late May. Remember--despite what you read in the papers, states which require Mandatory Universal Helmet Wear are in the MINORITY in this country! Fully THIRTY STATES allow Freedom Of Choice for adult riders right now in America (remember, it used to be thirty-one, but Louisiana took a step backward, for political reasons which had nothing to do with "Safety").  These see-saw fights are picked in the individual states every year, depending on what kind of politicians, media outlets and special interest groups want to pick them--Eternal Vigilance continues to be the Price of Liberty, and YOUR State Motorcyclist Rights Organization will continue to stand watch.

  I went to the Eagle's Nest Bike Rally in Mannford, OK  April 20-22, which was the first time I had the opportunity to attend that event.  It's on Hwy. 51, just thirty miles east of Stillwater.  The Eagle's Nest site is in a nice area, with lots of flat ground and trees to camp under.  I hooked up with a number of friendly riders I've met on a Motorcycling Forum website recently. It's located at www.OklahomaRiders.com , and it's worth you checking out sometime. The Eagle's Nest Rally has a pretty good stage setup for the bands, and lots of potential for growth.  There weren't a whole lot of vendors to visit this Spring, but the good folks hosting it haven't been putting it on as long as some other Oklahoma events out there--I'm sure it's going to get progressively larger.  They also have other events throughout the year, and you can Google their website to find out more.  ABATE's Central Oklahoma District hosted its Benefit Poker Run to raise funds for the Cleveland County Relay For Life, American Cancer Society on Saturday, May 5.  The route was pretty nice, with stops near three Indian Casinos, and the weather spruced up, after a bunch of angry clouds in the morning which produced no rain.  I worked the stop in Norman, at Mason's Pecans and Nuts, which is run by some terrific people.  It's worth stopping by if you're hungry, or if you just want to "Go Nuts"!  We started and ended at Spinozi's on N.W. 63rd St. in Oklahoma City, which is a very Biker-friendly establishment with good food and a friendly staff.  Ron Benton, one of the owners, is an avid motorcyclist himself, and is also a Morning Radio DJ on 96.9 BOB-FM.  He's very supportive of ABATE, and was involved in helping us publicize Jaggers' Law.  He's always urging motorists to look out for Motorcyclists on his program.  We had a large number of Door Prizes to give away, including autographed University of Oklahoma footballs and basketballs donated by Spinozi's.  Sadly, very few riders showed up to support the event, which was probably because there are so many competing events throughout the state every weekend nowadays.  Still COD ABATE was able to donate a check to the American Cancer Society, which will help fund cancer research as we continue the fight to conquer this disease.  Many thanks to all who were able to participate.  For those of you who weren't able to attend, you missed a really fun time, and we missed you! 

  Well, I think I've gotten back to normal, after attending the 22nd annual National Coalition Of Motorcyclists Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina from May 9-13.  The Convention was very successful overall, with over 1,400 riders from all over the U.S., Canada and overseas attending. Virtually every patch you could think of, from Motorcyclist Rights Organizations like ABATE to most of your One-Percent clubs, was represented. The host Organizations, CBA/ABATE of NC and the NC Confederation Of Clubs, did a wonderful job with logistics, from airport pickup/drop-off to the event T-Shirts!  The Convention featured a number of informative seminars on a vast array of topics like defending your rights in court, Women in Motorcycling, EPA regulations and bike customization, and Constitutional issues.  Yours truly was involved in quite a few of them, including the State Motorcyclist Rights Organization Leaders Conference and State Legislative Issues Seminar. I represent six states on the NCOM Board, so I was running around multi-tasking most of that weekend--but I still found time to enjoy some delicious seafood, being close to the East Coast.  I was able to down some oysters, shrimp, red snapper, and crab cakes--you know, stuff we hardly get a chance to be acquainted with in Oklahoma, where the popular definition of Seafood is catfish!  There were almost a thousand attendees present at the Worldwide Confederation Of Clubs meeting Friday evening, representing almost every patch holding club, organization and association out there. It was a very exciting event, focused on Motorcycling Freedom topics. The Silver Spoke Awards Banquet was packed with over 900 people on Saturday Night.  We had a terrific time, and ABATE's own Carmaletta Lara received a special award for all she does to support our Organization and Bikers' Rights in Oklahoma. Also, the Patriot Guard Riders received a Special Meritorious Award for the good work they do nationwide in honoring our Military Members who have made the Supreme Sacrifice and protecting the decorum of their funerals.  Another highlight involved the founders of Thunder Roads Magazine receiving the Silver Spoke Award for Media.  This award was well deserved, in my opinion, in recognition of the support and publicity Thunder Roads Magazine gives all aspects of the Riding Community in the respective states where it's published.  Next year's NCOM Convention will be held in Houston, TX, and it should shape up to be one of the best ever!  Please make plans to attend if you can, since it's so close to our area.

  In closing, I want to mention an article published April 30 in the Tulsa World covering two motorcycle fatalities occurring within a week of each other and addressing legislation called for by one of the parents.  Yes, these motorcycle fatalities were indeed tragic, and my heart goes out to the grieving families, but both were the result of reckless motorcycling--I want to remind folks that the first 25 year-old rider was traveling in excess of 120MPH when he hit the tail-end of the big-rig and killed himself, and the other rider, age 21, was doing over 100MPH when he lost control. They died as the result of their irresponsible actions (even though both riders were WEARING Helmets), and now the parents want to make ALL OF US riders in Oklahoma hurt--by pushing for a Mandatory Helmet Law in Oklahoma, and for legislation which would allow Government to CONFISCATE motorcycles of those riders convicted of speeding (incidentally, a similar law has been proposed in Florida--for some reason, you don't hear anybody calling for the confiscation of CARS belonging to Reckless Drivers!).  Once again, the root problem, in this case irresponsible and reckless riding (just like inattentive and negligent car driving), gets ignored amidst irrational, emotional appeal, and the media once again jumps on a hot-button topic to boost ratings and sell papers. The family members, in trying to come to grips with their grief, in my opinion, are flailing about and possibly are attempting to lessen their feelings of guilt by oppressing the rest of us (not unlike what the Creek County constituent tried to do in Convincing Rep. McNiel to file her Helmet Law proposal earlier this year). I sympathize with them for their loss, but I sure as hell won't allow them to jeopardize my Rights, nor will I cave in to their demands at the expense of my Personal Freedom.  If a Helmet Law went into effect in our state tomorrow, it wouldn't do a damn thing to reduce the number of deaths and injuries among motorcyclists in the Sooner State--accepting Personal Responsibility to use the Road intelligently, both as riders and cagers, WILL! 

  Tiger's Tip O' The Month: It seems like more and more car and truck drivers want to infringe on your space, regardless of who you are!  Cages edge half into the street instead of waiting at stop signs, or oncoming vehicles edge over the yellow line while waiting to make a left turn.  They also seem to cut as close to you as possible when making left turns in front of you while you're waiting at intersections.  Make sure you're scanning ahead of yourself constantly for threats, and NEVER assume these types of drivers are going to wait until you pass by.  Also, make sure you take up ALL of a parking space, unless you have multiple bikes using it.  Otherwise, you can count on some cage sharing part of your space, and sometimes they'll knock over your bike as well.  One other thing: we've had a bunch of rain over the last few weeks, which has produced a LOT of Potholes!  Be wary of them, since often you don't see them until you're right on top of them.  Well, I'll get off my soapbox for now--thanks for listening, and enjoy the Road as we Spring into Summer.  Until next time, Freedom Fighters!

Keep It On The Black Strip Between The Trees,
Tiger Mike