We have been advised that Chairman Cook will not bring HB 706, the Equal Access Bill up for a vote. The Bill is dead. He is pissed about the calls he received for it.
I will try only once to change his mind then play his game.
Sputnik
We have a correction on the date for the state meeting, it will be held on Saturday, May 5th not May 6th, as previously reported. Members are welcome to come up on Friday May 4th and camp out over night, we will be cooking something and sitting around the camp fire having fun. Then the meeting with the district advisor’s will be at 11:00AM Saturday morning, and the general membership meeting will be at 1:00PM.
Also the Austin TMRA2 meeting will be tomorrow night Tuesday, May 1st, at Cindy’s Gone Hog Wild on Hwy 71, at 7:30PM.
Update on Bills
HB 727 came out of Committee on Tuesday night. This is our Helmet Amendment Bill that would remove the insurance or medical portion of the current helmet law.
HB 706, the Equal Access Bill has not yet received a vote of the full Civil Practices Committee. Chairman Cooke has been told repeatedly that we are ready for a vote but has not yet held one.
HB 2309, our Failure To Yield Bill has also had a hearing but no vote as of this writing.
We spent a long hard weekend at the Hawgs of Texas Rally in Sommerville and registered only 23 new members, thanks to the Iron Wolves M/C who invited us to set up at this Rally. Terri and I had a really good time and we spoke to hundreds of riders who never heard of TMRA2 and couldn’t care less what was happening in Austin. Several took apps and said they would mail them in to the office. Some said they would check out our website.
One man even claimed to be the one who passed the helmet law and swore his name was on the Bill.
We were very fortunate to have been placed in a space next to a fantastic couple. If not for the pleasure we found in this new relationship I would have elected to leave much sooner due to humidity. Thanks to Dave and Tracy for making the weekend great. The Sunday morning service by Tribe of Judah was great. Their Christian rock band that played Sunday morning was the best rock band at the rally. We returned to the office about noon and I have just finished answering the e-mails that need answers and deleting those not important in the realm of politics.
I did buy myself a very unique ride on the last night of the Rally. It will be unveiled at the state Meeting on Saturday. It will give me better mobility at Rallies and in the Halls of the House when necessary.
The following is a message I received from Senator Carona’s office along with my response. I can but assume all Warriors will agree with my answer.
Sputnik -
Would you be willing to meet with Transportation and Homeland Security Staff and some of the previous medical professionals to discuss alternatives to the helmet bill (SB 1368)?
On Tuesday perhaps? We sincerely would like to work towards a compromise that both parties can agree to.
Erika Akpan
Asst. Clerk
Senate Transportation and Homeland Security
***********************************************************************************************
Erika;
We came to Senator Carona to help us stop the Law Enforcement problems we have faced for the past 10 years due to the wording and lack of knowledge of law officers, prosecutors and judges. The senator did not even speak with us in good faith as the next day he filed SB 1368 as a back door Helmet Law.
We were asked to meet with the senator and a Head Trauma expert to discuss the Bill. Instead we met with Lobbyist, an attorney and possibly someone who worked at a hospital who wanted to stress the cost of motorcycle injuries and claimed to not know any details on auto injured patients. Two meetings and not one word on how to stop harassment which is our goal.
If the senator wants to consider adding an amendment to say all Texas citizens riding in or on a vehicle in this state must carry the $150,000 medical insurance and may be stopped by traffic officers to check whether they in fact have the required insurance coverage perhaps we could talk.
We know that this is not going to take place so we can but assume that another meeting would serve no purpose. We have compromised for 10 years and will no longer do so.
Guess this pretty much puts us at a stalemate. We have the support to kill SB 1368 if it comes for a vote and we know we won’t get a fair hearing on HB 727 in the committee chaired by Senator Carona. We came to him assuming his honor and integrity but got a rude awakening during this process.
Thanks for the invitation but we shall just have to endure harassment a while longer and get what relief we can through the civil process. We will be here after the good senator has moved on or the new governor gives us a chairman who will really work with us.
Regards,
Sputnik
State Chair
Texas Motorcycle Rights Association
Ride Safe-Ride Sober
Sputnik
The Texas Confederation of Clubs, Austin Region along with the TMRA2 Texas Motorcycle Rights Association is hosting a membership drive and Independent awareness gathering at the VFW Hall in Marble Falls Sunday, May 6th from 1:00 to 5:00. All Texas Hill Country motorcyclists are invited to attend for discussion of Legislative and Judicial issues that affect your rights to freedom and to have some good fellowship. There will be free food and live music throughout the evening.
Members from both organizations will be on site to provide you with important information and to answer any questions you might have.
For more info contact: True Few Mike: 210-336-4231 Stumpy Stan: 830-265-0806
or Scary Gary: 830-798-3882
———————————–Info provided by Suds & bttrfly Newsletter
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Greetings Warriors,
The 80th Legislative Session of Texas is winding down. Please try to make a meeting, and maybe you’ll pick up information that will enable you, to insure we all keep the right to ride.
The next meeting for the Lake Granbury Liberty Riders chapter of TMRA2 will be tomorrow night Wednesday, April 25th, at the VFW in Granbury – Post 7835, at 7:00pm. If you need directions, their phone number is (817) 573-9350.
The meetings are normally on the 4th Wednesday of the month, so put it on your calendar. Come on out, and participate in your government!The TMRA2 State Meeting will be held at Lost Prairie Cycles Ranch on Saturday May 5th. The Advisor Meeting will begin at 11:00am and the General membership meeting will begin at 1:00pm. The Ballots will be counted during the time between the two meetings and new officers will be seated at the beginning of new business during the General Membership meeting. All chapters should have at least one officer at the General Membership Meeting.
The meetings for the Navarro County Freedom Fighters are on the 1st Monday of the month at 7pm at That Church in Corsicana. The next meeting will be on Monday, May 6th. The next event the Chapter is having though, is on Saturday, April 28th. The Chapter will have a booth, selling sausage-on-a-stick at Derrick Days in Corsicana. Volunteers can start showing up at 8am. The booth is right next to the car show on Beaton. Good place to park a scooter!!! The Chapter is also planning a Biker Rest Stop in Corsicana during the ROT and NOTROT rallies. Stay tuned or reply for details.
The Heart of Texas Chapter will not meet in May, in observence of Mother’s Day. It is normally on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 1pm at Jim’s Cycle Shop in Axtell. Go to the State Meeting in Groesbeck on May 5th this month instead.
Ride Safe and Free (while U steelcan)
Greg Bodovsky
Senate District 22 Advisor
Texas Motorcycle Rights Association
www.tmra2.org
LET THOSE WHO RIDE DECIDE
–
First they came for the Communists,
and I didnt speak up,
because I wasnt a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didnt speak up,
because I wasnt a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didnt speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
Please post this link for Vote Rescue on the Websites. We are working to get Texas to go back to the paper ballots. They have put a link on their site to ours.
I recommend that everyone sign both Petitions. The petitions don’t go anywhere it just let’s them tell you what is happening along with when and where they meet.
Thanks,
Sputnik
—————————- Original Message —————————-
Subject: Link to Petition Website
From: “Kathleen Wynne”
Date: Wed, April 11, 2007 5:11 pm
To: chairman@tmra2.org
————————————————————————–
Sputnik,
As promised, here’s the link to the site.
http://www.hcpbnow.org/petition.html
On the home page you will immediately see the request to sign the “federal” petition and directly underneath, next to the Texas State flag, is the petition for HB 3894.
Please remind everyone to please sign both petitions. Hopefully, we’ll get a huge response. Thanks a million.
Kathleen