TMRA2 Legislative Update

South Texas CoC US Defenders and Texas Bikers At-Large,

Below is the formal announcement by US Defender National Lt. Commander Escondido Paul, who also serves as the US Defender Texas Commander, identifying Sons of the South M/C Steve “Dozer” Cochran as the US Defender Texas Lt. Commander of the Northern Region of Texas, and me as the US Defender Texas Lt. Commander of the Southern Region of Texas.

Both Dozer and I will be working with the other members of the US Defender Texas state leadership in an effort to assist in continuing to build and strengthen the US Defender program here in Texas, and nationally if tasked. www.usdefenders.org

After discussions between STCoC President Bandido Slick Rick, Texas Commander Escondido Paul and me, we asked Leatherneck M/C Richard “Cowboy” Caballero to step up as the US Defender Unit Commander of Texas Region 8 replacing me as I move into my new position. Cowboy has accepted; I have known him since 1970 and he is very capable and committed as both a leader, an organizer, and as an administrator.

I will now be assisting Cowboy in an effort to soon identify the following in Region 8:

1. Two individuals to assist our area’s Biker Safety and Awareness Coordinator, PGR Dan Creswell.

2. The identification and selection of someone from within the local independent biker community who has the leadership skills, organizing skills, administrative capability, and commitment to begin to lead and develop a Coalition of Independent Riders in this region. http://usdefenders.org/index_files/coir.htm

Unity, Solidarity, and Equality,
Jeffrey “Two Knives” Churchill
Texas State Lt. Commander/South
US Defenders
Isaiah 6:8
“Deus Lux Et Veritas”
www.usdefenders.org

Ladies and Gentlemen, Bikers have been the largest group to show up to the Texas Capitol building on Legislative Day in recent history. Many of you know the leader of this movement “Sputnik” passed away on June 24th 2010. One of Sputnik’s last wishes were that we have 10,000 bikers at the Capitol on Biker Legislative Day Jan 24th 2011. This should not be that hard to do since we had 5000 bikers in the capitol on Jan 2009.

Out of 50 states in the union, Texas is unique in the fact that our state government only runs 3 months out of 24 and that is on every odd year. This unique fact is because Texans dont trust government to run much longer before they do something unconstitutional. Texas Legislators have found time to do things unconstitutionally, some of the main concerns of bikers are gun & helmet freedom and both of these freedoms have been taken away in the past but thanks to the bikers of Texas we now have both of these freedoms! Both of these freedoms and many more can be taken away at the drop of a hat if we take our freedoms for grantid in 2011.

So, without getting to long winded, make a committment, draw a line in the sand and be at Biker Legislative Day on Monday – Jan 24th, 2011. Tell your boss now you will need to be off that day. I’m sure he or she will understand when you tell them its as much about their freedom as it is yours! See you there!

God Bless Texas,
Tom Maddux

P.S. The Texas Capitol building is ours, our tax dollars paid for it and our fathers built it and man o man it is grand!

STCoC Members and Brothers/Sisters,

The September South Texas Coalition of Clubs <STCoC> meeting will be Sunday, 19 September 2010, 1:30pm-4pm at the American Legion Hall, 5323 Kostoryz, Corpus Christi, Texas.

The request to change the September meeting date was made by US Defender National Lt. Commander/US Defender Texas State Commander Escondido Paul on behalf of US Defender National Commander Bandido Gimmi Jimmy and was approved unanimously by the STCoC Board of Directors.

Bandido Gimmi Jimmy and Escondido Paul will presenting the current and projected status of the US Defender program to include proposed legislative activities which are planned in the upcoming year to include the “Legislative Action Day” scheduled in Austin, Texas, for the weekend of 22, 23, and 24 January 2011. Of course as you all know, if you are a US Defender in Texas the activity in Austin in January is a mandatory activity for you. They will also be discussing the upcoming NCOM Region II convention which will be convening in DeSoto, Texas, in November.

As has been requested by many in the STCoC, they will also be bringing with them US Defender support items, e.g., t-shirts, patches, and stickers for those who desire to purchase them.

Please also make note that at 10am before the STCoC meeting, Bandido Griff from Austin will be sharing his testimony at Ground Zero Biker Church <GZBC> which also meets at the same location. You are all cordially invited to come hear Griff speak on that day, and if you would like to get there early we will have coffee, donuts, and pan dulce <Mexican sweet bread> available for you. This date also happens to be the First Anniversary Celebration of GZBC and we will be providing FREE TEXAS BBQ with all of the trimmings after the service.

Unity, Solidarity, and Equality,
Pastor Jeffrey “Two Knives” Churchill
US Defender Unit Commander
Texas, Region 8
Isaiah 6:8
777
CFFC
“Deus Lux Et Veritas”

http://usdefenders.org/index.htm

http://www.coctx.org/

From: Doc D’Errico <doc@derrico.net>

 CA SB 435 took an apparent turn for the worse yesterday with the CA Senate passing SB 435, requiring the EPA stamp on Motorcycle Exhaust, with days to go in the legislative session:

 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_0401-0450/sb_435_bill_20100831_enrolled.html

 What’s not clear now is what the Governor will do and/or whether CA has a “pocket veto” like MA does – there’s nothing clear on the CA.gov websites, but I did find this, which doesn’t mention the possibility:

 http://www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov/Citizens.aspx?Content2=1090

 The “pocket veto” in MA came close with MA SB 2344 since the Legislature was out of session.  While IN session, the Governor’s lack of signature would automatically become law, while OUT of session, the bill dies.

 Interestingly, there’s little news on this out of California directly. 

One article correctly attributes the item:

 http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15943096

 Where another hides it under a discussion of street sweepers and implies that removal of Catalytic Converters is the issue:

 http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-0831-last-minute-m,0,7162927.story

 Text of the Mercury News article:

Lawmakers pass bill to quiet motorcycles By Robin Hindery Associated Press

Posted: 08/30/2010 03:57:11 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers want to put a plug in the earsplitting roar from modified motorcycles.

The state Senate today voted 21-16 to pass SB435. The bill makes it a crime to operate a motorcycle manufactured after Jan. 1, 2013, that fails to meet federal noise-emission control standards.

Motorcyclists whose vehicles lack the proper U.S. Environmental Protection Agency label would be subject to a fine.

Supporters say many motorcycle owners modify their bikes to make them much louder, which in turn creates a public nuisance. Those modifications also allow the motorcycle to produce more harmful emissions.

Opponents of the bill say many aftermarket exhaust systems meet emission standards but aren’t labeled, meaning law-abiding riders could be unfairly ticketed.

The bill now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who owns multiple motorcycles