[Mrfnews] 08LR06 - MRF Leaders Report - March

[mrfnews at mrf.org]

MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
236 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Suite 510
Washington, DC 20002-4980
202-546-0983 (voice)
202-546-0986 (fax)
http://www.mrf.org (website)


For Immediate Release

Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations
Email: jeff at mrf.org

March 14, 2008

WASHINGTON DC UPDATE - Winter on its way out of town here in Washington
can only mean one thing.  No, not cherry blossoms, but the other
springtime spectacle - biker lobby season.  The past month has brought
motorcyclists from all over the country to DC.  ABATE of Colorado, ABATE
of Ohio, ABATE of Iowa and ABATE of Wisconsin have all been to DC so far
this year to meet with their federal delegations, as did the St. Croix
Valley Riders who did double time and represented both Minnesota and
Wisconsin.  All of the groups that sent folks to DC should be proud of the
teams they sent and of the work they accomplished.

The issues being discussed in one-on-one meetings with Members of
Congress, Senators and their staffs included closing the HIPAA loophole,
DOT Secretary Mary Peters' proposed legislation, the right to repair bill,
and the highway bill which will begin to take shape next year.  Of
importance to note is the widespread, uniformly negative response coming
from individual Members of Congress and Senators to Mary Peters' proposed
legislation to gut the 2010 grant program language and trump the funding
for rider ed and awareness campaigns in favor of helmet use promotion. 
Most Members of Congress are content to leave the program intact and
continue to fund only education and awareness campaigns through the life
of the program.

Mary Peters, however, is standing by her desire to push for helmet use and
helmet laws, as evidenced by her testimony in a Senate committee hearing
on March 6.  Combating proposed legislation through a call to action can
be confusing to Capitol Hill, which is why it's best to handle proposals
like this one through face-to-face conversations with your elected
officials.  So if you really want to be effective in stopping her
proposal, plan now to visit with your federal elected officials either in
Washington or back in your home state. Congress will stand in adjournment
from March 17 through 30, and chances are there will be an opportunity to
meet with your lawmakers back home.  It's also not too late to plan that
trip to DC to meet with your legislators on Capitol Hill.  Contact the MRF
office if you need any assistance planning such a trip.

SEE YOU IN PEABODY? - BEAST of the East is just outside Boston this year
and is also just around the next corner of the calendar.  April 18-20, the
MRF will take the show on the road, and it promises to be a weekend packed
with lots of information, networking and good clean fun. Who knows, maybe
some of those guys who enjoy the breeze between the knees will make an
appearance... you know who I'm talking about.  Hope to see you there.


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(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction
permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated
in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights
organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists'
rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC,
the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted
exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early
1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause
of rider safety and rider freedom.

The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the
very founders of the American riders' rights movement among its leading
members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and
regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public
awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights
organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional
and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as
well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.