Greetings to all my Brothers and Sisters, and Happy Independence Day to all! I hope you're bearing up under the Summer's assault of heat and humidity, staying hydrated, and having it "Made In The Shade"!  I also hope you're enjoying some of the myriad of Summer-oriented riding events out there! I attended COD ABATE's Spring Into Summer Party in Harrah which, while not well-attended, was a terrific time with righteous people delicious food and drink, and outstanding Rock and Blues music was presented by the Night Howlers! You have to check them out sometime.

Well, the 2004 Legislative Session is complete in Oklahoma, and we got some of what we asked for, but not all. SB 1539, formerly the Failure To Yield bill, is no longer Jaggers' Law, in that it is worthless as far as motorcyclists are concerned. The Senate Conference Committee eliminated all provisions designed to protect motorcyclists from the actions of irresponsible cagers out there, and it basically ended up a trucking regulations bill.  Holly, our Political Director, sent me information clarifying why the bill ended up without any motorcycling-related content that would've benefited us.  Apparently, there was no political pressure put on any members of the Conference Committee, where bills are sent for re-wording after the bill's title is taken off. Senate Staff--the people who actually write the wording for all the bills--said we couldn't give the money gained from the extra fines to the District Attorneys because it created a conflict of interest by giving DAs a vested interest in prosecuting offenders. So, without talking to Holly, they replaced the fine with a suspension (one-year suspension of Drivers License) which we were pretty sure going in that we weren't going to get.  Then, time in the Legislative Session simply ran out. David Jaggers deserved a far better tribute for his efforts on behalf of Motorcycling Freedom, like reinforcing to the State Legislature that Motorcyclists Matter! So, it'll be up to us to honor the legacy of David's contributions to Oklahoma's motorcycling community by continuing to take every opportunity to exercise our political power and push for legislation that'll stiffen penalties for motorists that hurt and kill bikers. As the old saying goes, "If there's no Justice, then there's JUST US!". I personally would advise any motorcyclist that gets hurt as the result of a motorist's irresponsibility to hire a Personal Injury Attorney the sharks won't eat out of Professional Courtesy! Holly even now is collaborating with some of our friends in the Legislature on ideas that might increase our chances of getting this type of legislation passed next Session.

Actually, we made significant progress this year with Failure To Yield Legislation in Oklahoma, considering this is the first year that it's been advanced. Lots of legislative efforts take more than one year to successfully accomplish, as our Rider Education experience showed us.  In comparison, it took SIX YEARS to pass the Rider Education Bill, and the State STILL needs to incorporate a funding mechanism! We really need to emphasize the positive regarding what's happened legislatively this year.

Oklahoma motorcyclists are now able to run multiple headlights on their bikes and be more readily seen in traffic, and we can start early every year to publicize that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in the Sooner State. So, my friends, keep your spirits up, and we'll give 'em a good battle next year! Many thanks to Holly for all the time she spent at the State House on our behalf. She requested that we not hammer on our Legislators too hard--for the most part, they have done everything we've asked them to do, and bikers are welcomed at the Capitol throughout the Legislative Session. Considering we don't work through a Political Action Committee and very few riders,  unfortunately, financially support the political campaigns of our friends in the Legislature, we really accomplish a lot! So, our friends in the State House that have championed our efforts deserve our thanks as well, as do our potential Legislative friends that are (even if they don't know it yet!) going to go to bat for us next year. 

Many thanks also to all of you that took time out of your busy schedules to call, write, e-mail, and visit your Legislators to demonstrate support of our important issues. A number of those in the House and Senate that have been our allies won't be back next year due to term limits, so we're going to have to work hard on making new friends after the November Elections in time for the 2005 Session! Holly is working with Rep. James Covey on strategy for advancing Failure To Yield Legislation next year. On May 28, a number of us ABATE members got together on our bikes with Rep. Jerry Hefner, who showed up on his Harley for a group photo with us and a number of State Troopers and Oklahoma City's Finest on their police motorcycles. Rep. Hefner is one of those friends that was on our side when we defeated the Helmet Law in 1994 and has now been term-limited. Thanks for your support and Ride Free, Jerry!

On the national scene, make sure you drag a skid-lid along with you if you're going through Nebraska en route to Sturgis this year.  The Speaker of the Nebraska Senate refused to allow the Freedom of Choice bill to be heard by that body, so Cornhusker State riders will have to try again next year.  We Oklahomans need to continue to contact the Departments of Tourism of states that deny riders the choice of whether or not to wear a helmet, and let them know that we're very particular about where we spend our vacation dollars! I'm afraid that's also going to include Missouri, which has to endure Mandatory Helmet Wear for another year thanks to partisan political maneuvering. Even though the Missouri House Speaker attempted to derail the bill by delaying its being heard, the entire House passed it, it was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee (the same week as our NCOM Convention), and Freedom Of Road Riders (FORR) Missouri was assured that there were enough "Yes" votes in the Senate and that the bill was on the Calendar to be heard before the Session ended. So what happened? One Senator pushing his pet project initiated a filibuster on the Session's last day, kept it going until midnight, and all the backed-up legislation waiting to be heard, including the Freedom of Choice Bill, was dead for the year!  So, Missouri Bikers will give it another go in 2005, and are aiming to put both the House Speaker and the offending Senator on the unemployment line.

We're still receiving a bunch of positive feedback from folks that had a terrific time at our NCOM Convention in May and are looking forward to attending the next one. It's important to know that the 2005 NCOM Convention will be held in North Carolina, at a location to be announced.  It was changed from Kentucky because the Convention was scheduled the same week as the Kentucky Derby, and there wasn't enough lead time to find a city far enough away from Louisville where a hotel wouldn't be booked solid.  So, the 2006 Convention will be held in Kentucky, and we're hoping that the 2005 Convention will be a celebration of North Carolina Liberty, as their Freedom of Choice bill is still alive in their Legislature! Let's think positive thoughts and hope it happens. On the other side, a move is still active to reinstate a Helmet Law in Louisiana for the SECOND time this year!  Enemies of former Governor Mike Foster, a Life Member of ABATE of Louisiana, tried to push one through as soon as he stepped down due to term limits,  got shot down, and now are trying it again! Currently, it has passed the entire House, and the new Governor has indicated she'd sign it.  Bayou State Bikers are hoping the Senate will act sensibly and stall it until the Session's over. Passing this legislation would mean taking a tragic step backward, after Louisiana Freedom  Fighters accomplished so much in 2002!  Two more snippets of information: the Freedom of Choice Bill is still being considered in Maryland, and the Handlebar Height Restriction was eliminated  in California. So, Golden State Riders can air their pits out to compensate for heat produced by Mandatory Helmets, which apparently Governor Swarzenegger supports. Say it ain't so, AAHHNOLD!! 

Well, I've yakked at you enough for one issue, so I'll put the brakes on and save some for next time. Tiger's Tip O' The Month: I know I  don't  have to remind a lot of Oklahoma riders of this, but one of the burdens we bear in the Sooner State involves having to cope with far too much ROAD DEBRIS!  A study by the AAA Foundation has determined that junk on America's roadways causes at least 25,000 wrecks and more than 80 deaths a year. While debris counts for less than 1% of all traffic mishaps, the problem is still a serious one, and states are being urged to take more steps to keep highways clear. The Federal Highway Administration reports that road debris can cause as much as 40% of traffic congestion in the USA, with accidents resulting from the debris averaging out to about 68 per day. Oklahoma, which probably won't surprise anyone, ranks FIFTH in the Nation for fatal crashes caused by road debris, with our neighbor to the south, Texas, ranked number one and our adjoining state to the north, Missouri, coming in at number three. Out of 36 states reporting statistics, 87% reported tire treads--those "Road Gators" that pose a constant threat to motorcyclists--among the five most common items. Other noted debris included garbage dropped by waste haulers, construction materials, furniture, and mufflers and exhaust parts. I wouldn't be surprised if we're not seeing more car parts in the road as the result of Oklahoma not requiring vehicle inspection anymore, given some of the rattle-traps bikers share the road with now. Road Safety Engineers state that the source of much of the debris is from trucks, both commercial and private, carrying unsecured loads. A strong wind can push almost anything out of a truck bed, and the AAA was surprised by how much of the debris is Saturday Afternoon cargo people simply neglect to cover or tie down. Heck, that's something any motorcyclist in the OKC or Tulsa Metro areas encounters weekly!  I've encountered everything on Moving Day (Saturday in the Sooner State) from bagged household trash to a full-size refrigerator standing upright in my lane on I-40! A rider can even see someone on the highway reaching up and trying to hold onto a mattress on their roof while driving from time to time--THAT's frightening! I know this topic is one we're all too familiar with in the Sooner State, but the statistics I've quoted are part of the FIRST nationwide study to look at debris from vehicles! It's definitely a report long overdue in my opinion, given the Brothers and Sisters we've lost due to road junk out there. My heart goes out to the family of "Bear" Daugherty of Tulsa, killed on his bike in May after hitting a Road Gator at night and losing control. So please, keep your situational  awareness up, look as far ahead as you can, and keep an eye on what the other traffic is doing in response to both debris in the road and oblivious drivers about to lose their unsecured loads. Take care of each other, stay cool, and we'll visit again during the Dog Days of Summer!

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