ABATE of South Dakota

MRF E-MAIL NEWS - US House Committee Passes HR 3199
MRF E-MAIL NEWS - US House Comm. Targets Fed Funding of Motorcycle Only Roadside Checkpoints

Rapid City man gets seven years for hit and run Sturgis death
Va. bill advances to ban motorcycles-only checkpoints

MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
http://www.mrf.org

12NR02 - MRF News Release - US House Committee Passes HR 3199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

07 February 2012

Contact:Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Ralations and Public Affairs

US House Committee Passes HR 3199

Tuesday, Feburary 7th, the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology passed HR 3199 - a bill that would require a comprehensive study of the scientific and technical research on the implications of fuel with more than 10 percent ethanol. Essentially, this bill would slow down the fast tracking of the fuel blend that is 15 percent or more ethanol. The Administration made it legal at the end of 2010 for fuel suppliers to sell the blend.

In an Opinon Editorial to the Hill newspaper, Rep. Sensenbrenner (WI) had this to say, 'Many claims by E15's supporters are questionable. For instance, ethanol's proponents argue that ethanol is cheaper. But this claim ignores the fact that E15 lowers fuel efficiency. Since ethanol's energy content is just 70 percent of the energy content of gasoline, American drivers will be forced to make more trips to the pump, largely negating any savings from E15.'

Sensenbrenner added, 'As bad as E15 is for our cars, it is downright dangerous in small gasoline-based engines like those in our lawnmowers, boats and ATVs. E15 in a boat engine is like metal in a microwave. The United States Coast Guard warned that E15 in marine engines increases the risk of fires and explosions. And, 'The EPA dismisses these concerns — from stakeholders within the government, no less — because these engines are not included in EPA's E15 waiver, but EPA is willfully ignoring inevitable issues with misfueling and lack of availability of fuel with lower ethanol content. At a Science Committee hearing last year, we examined the EPA's E15 decision, and witnesses testified that the agency cannot prevent misfueling.'

We at the MRF are all for reducing our dependence on foreign oil and keeping the planet healthy, but the facts are not all in when it comes to the 15 percent blend when used in a motorcycle engine. In fact, the Motorcycle Industry Council has said that the blend could be harmful to motorcycles. The EPA went so far as to say that motorcycles are prohibited from using the new blend altogether.

Until further comprehensive study, such as required by this legislation, is conducted we must issue caution when using the new blend.

The MRF will keep you updated on this and every other issue effecting motorcyclists from Washington DC.

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MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
http://www.mrf.org

12NR01 - MRF News Release - US House Committee Targets Federal Funding of Motorcycle Only Roadside Checkpoints

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
01 February 2012

Contact:Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Ralations and Public Affairs

US House Committee Targets Federal Funding of Motorcycle Only Roadside Checkpoints

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation reports that Wednesday, February 1st, the United States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure rolled out the latest version of the highway bill. The bill is the long term funding bill for road construction and highway programs.

This version of the bill takes aim at a controversial practice of the Department of Transportation which funded motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints with taxpayer dollars.

The checkpoints have drawn much criticism from the motorcycle community at large. So much so, that longtime motorcycle champion Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) had introduced legislation to end the program by prohibiting any future Federal funding of any motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints. That bill is HR 904.
The mammoth highway bill includes the same language as contained in HR 904.

Representative Sensenbrenner had this to say, 'We need to focus on proven methods of motorcycle safety, including crash prevention, rider education, and training and proper licensing. Motorcycle-only checkpoints are an intrusive governmental overreach that place an undue burden on riders while doing little to actually improve safety,' He added,
'It is encouraging to see that the transportation reauthorization bill will encourage more efficient use of taxpayer dollars and smart motorcycle safety policy.'

Representative Tom Petri (R-WI), a staunch defender of the motorcyclists, had this comment on the issue, “Motorcycle riders are right to be outraged at being singled out for safety inspections,' Petri said.
'Nobody is suggesting flagging cars down for unscheduled inspections, and there's no good reason why motorcycles should be treated differently.
It's unnecessarily intrusive, and not a smart way to use limited police resources.'

We at the MRF could not agree more. While swift passage into law is not likely, this is certainly an encouraging step.

The MRF will keep you updated on this issue.

Rapid City man gets seven years for hit and run Sturgis death

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - A Rapid City man accused in a hit &amp;amp;amp; run death at least year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in western South Dakota has been sentenced to serve seven years in prison.

34 year-old Robert Pittman late last year pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the death of 44 year-old Brian Bye, of Lincoln, Nebraska. Authorities say Pittman plowed into the back of Bye's motorcycle on state Highway 79 near Bear Butte on August 10 and fled. He was arrested two days later.

Pittman also has been ordered to pay more than $4,500 in restitution to Bye's family.

Va. bill advances to ban motorcycles-only checkpoints

RICHMOND

Motorcycle riders sometimes draw special attention from the law enforcement community, and they’re fighting back.

Last spring, for instance, in connection with the annual Virginia Beach Bike Classic, city police set up a motorcycles-only checkpoint that resulted in some riders being ticketed for such offenses as wearing improper helmets, according to Matt Danielson, counsel to the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists.

The police dispute Danielson’s account of the roadblock.

Arlington County police conducted a similar operation last year targeting the annual Rolling Thunder ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, Danielson said.

It may not happen again.

Legislation moving through the Virginia House of Delegates at the bikers’ behest would make motorcycles-only checkpoints illegal. The measure, HB187, submitted by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, was approved unanimously Wednesday morning by a House subcommittee.

“We’re not opposed to checkpoints. They’re a useful public safety tool,” Danielson said. “We just don’t want to be singled out.”

Officer Jimmy Barnes, a Virginia Beach police spokesman, denied that motorcyclists were singled out during last year’s rally.

“We did have a checkpoint, but every car was stopped, not just motorcycles,” he said. “We don’t do that. That’s not our practice, and we will never do that.”

He was unable to provide a breakdown of how many tickets were issued to motorcyclists and car drivers.