ABATE of Oklahoma

Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer!! I hope all of you are coping well with the consecutive days with temperatures in the 100s, and staying well hydrated in this heat. Don't forget that dehydration and heat stress can sneak up on you, and cause some serious damage, so stay aware. Also remember that there's no substitute for good ole' water-caffeinated and sugary drinks can dehydrate you further, and alcoholic beverages don't work either, in addition to putting your life at risk due to drinking and riding! Well, at least we were able to get used to the heat due to the thermometer bumping up a month early!

As mentioned last month, the House Speaker authorized an Interim Study regarding funding of State Rider Safety Education and Awareness Programs preparatory to re-considering the bill in the 2010 Legislative Session. ABATE of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs are circulating a petition calling for the passage of HB2264, which has been revised to call for a Three Dollar registration fee increase, as opposed to the original five dollar proposal. Petition signers certify that they agree with the small registration fee increase to help save lives and reduce injuries through expanding motorcycling awareness, education and safety programs. ABATE believes that the lesser fee would still allow for effective program funding while making the state less likely to raid the money for the General Fund (even though the bill calls for the funding to be placed in a "Lock Box"). With over 114,000 motorcycles currently registered in the state, this would provide the necessary funding for getting rider safety, education and awareness courses going, and will directly contribute to reducing deaths and injuries in our Riding Family-all for an amount equivalent to the price of less than two beers per registered motorcycle! We'll be circulating these petitions all over the state before September, and ABATE would greatly appreciate it if you'd sign it should the petition come your way. Additionally, as I mentioned last month, a By-Laws Amendment was considered and approved to require positions such as State Safety Officer, Political Director (or Legislative Liaison), MRF Representative and NCOM Rep to the Board Of Directors to be approved through election by the State Board. On the heels of this, I want to extend a hearty welcome to Carol King of Tulsa as our new MRF State Representative. She'll be succeeding Charlie Williams, who's enjoying retirement and a well-deserved trip around the U.S. with Bernie visiting family and friends. Carol will be ably assisted by AJ "Jester" White from the N.W. #69 Chapter.

On the National Scene, Missouri Freedom Fighters were disappointed when Governor Jay Nixon vetoed their Freedom of Choice Bill regarding Helmet Wear in advance of the July 15 decision deadline. Rights Activists are seeking to drum up enough votes to possibly override the Governor's veto by September, so the fight isn't over yet. ABATE will continue to provide you updates. Additionally, Governor Granholm vetoed the latest version of the Freedom of Choice bill passed by the Legislature in Michigan. Closer to home, a well-attended seminar at the NCOM Convention in May dealt with the use of RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) chip-equipped armbands at bike rallies (RFID technology tracks your movements electronically by triggering coordinate counters, much like your PikePass on Oklahoma's toll roads). The idea of the promoters was to enable the armbands to support videotaping you on your bike at their rally so you could buy a DVD of your rally activities afterward. Attendees were not afforded the choice of not wearing the RFID-equipped bands. While the organizers insisted that the armbands weren't a tracking device, enough motorcyclists expressed alarm and concern about this turning into a "Big Brother" threat. After receiving negative feedback from a number of sources, the organizers decided not to go ahead with their original intention. Even though we're a couple of decades past 1984, Orwell's imaginations can still come true, if we let them!

I also want to point out, since we're less than two months away from them happening, that two significant events are due to take place. ABATE's second annual "Party On The Plains" is scheduled for October 2-4, again at the Westlake Recreation Area just west of beautiful Enid, America. For those of you who couldn't make it last year, you definitely need to put it on your calendars, as you'll be in for a terrific time enjoying a first-class rally full of fun activities with your Biker Brothers and Sisters! We're also enjoying this event in close proximity to one of our newer ABATE Chapters this year--the Chisholm Trail 412 Chapter. So, it'll provide ABATE folks and our entire Motorcycling Community the opportunity to make a bunch of new friends as well as hook up with old ones! Oct 16-18 will mark the annual Mid-South Motorcyclists Improving Legislative Effectiveness (M.I.L.E.) Rights Seminars at the Best Western in Emporia, Kansas. Freedom Fighters from the State Motorcyclist Rights Organizations of Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Arkansas will convene to share ideas and attend informative and educational presentations, as well as receive updates from National-level Organizations like NCOM, the MRF and the AMA. We'll also enjoy a delicious Banquet with a fun auction and party on Saturday night. The Lakes Area Chapter has once again stepped up to construct the ABATE Basket of Made-in-Oklahoma products which has won the People's Choice Award in the past. Many thanks, Lakes Area, for your continued dedication! I'll remind ABATE folks that the challenge was issued for us to exceed Kansas in M.I.L.E. attendees in their home state, so PLEASE make plans for showing up! You can obtain more information and a Pre-Registration application by logging onto www.midsouthmile.org Remember, for only $100, an unlimited number of ABATE Chapter Members can attend. This is an educational and informative event, so plan to join us, and PLEASE join ABATE of Oklahoma if you're not already a member. We need you!! That said, I want to congratulate our Thunder Roads Editor, Terri, for joining the Tulsa ABATE Chapter and reaffirming her dedication to Motorcycling Liberty in our state.

Tiger's Tip O' The Month: Unfortunately, one tends to find many loose animals on Oklahoma roadways in the Summertime, from turtles and snakes to Black Angus steers (THAT'S an attention-getter!), and hitting any of them can put you in the hospital, or worse! So, be observant, have an evasive maneuver or escape route planned in advance, use counter-steering to your advantage, and don't assume the critter's going to shy away from the road just because you've "racked your pipes" a couple of times. Sometimes that actually panics them into dashing out in front of you. Remember also that, with animals like deer, where there's one, there may be others! Stray dogs just love to chase bikes, so be careful, slow down and then power away from them. You can get in trouble even you're doing everything right, so always expect the unexpected!

Once again, this year is ABATE's Election Year for State Officers, and we're entertaining nominations for two-year positions as State Coordinator, Sgt-at-Arms, Secretary, and Treasurer, positions to be elected at the October Board Meeting. There are several special folks who've thrown their hats into the ring already, and I know a number of you out there who have a great deal to offer to make this organization the best it can be. I entreat each and every one of you members out there to do some soul-searching, and please, step up to the plate and run for office! If you don't feel you can fill a position on the State level, please volunteer to lead your Chapter as we all continue to work together to expand Motorcycling Freedom in the Great State of Oklahoma. As I bring these writings to an end for the month, I want to mention that ABATE lost one of its stalwarts in Mid-July. Paul Cohn, founding President and Charter Member of the Great Plains Chapter based in Altus, passed away a couple of weeks ago after a long fight against cancer. He was an Air Force Veteran and a longtime avid motorcyclist who was passionate about Motorcycling Rights and his Chapter, and always had a wealth of good information and ideas to share. Paul was an Ordained Minister, and was Chaplain for the Altus Police Department. Please remember his wife Helen and the family in your thoughts and prayers. The success that the Great Plains Chapter, host of several outstanding ABATE General Membership Meetings already, enjoys today is the direct result of Paul's efforts and inspiration. He'll be sorely missed by ABATE and his many friends-Ride Free Forever, Paul! Take care, everyone, Ride Safely, Sober and Aware, and I'll touch base with you as Fall approaches. See you in September!

Keep It On The Black Strip Between The Trees,

Tiger Mike