Legislative Update

We met again with the folks pushing for SB 1368, Senator Carona’s Helmet Bill. There was some good news from the Medical professionals that they would fund PSAs for Motorists Awareness. Mr. Polunsky said the Senate Transportation Committee would find out who got our Training Fund moved and where it is now. Neither said so but I got the feeling these things would be done if we agreed to accept SB 1368 in some form.
They wanted the sticker to be mandatory and we couldn’t be stopped if we have it. I explained the law now says we can’t be stopped if we have it but they do it. Mr. Polunsky said there must be some way to keep them from profiling you. I let him know they are already supposed to take sensitivity training to quit profiling us and it hasn’t helped.
They offered two or three changes and each time I said I couldn’t accept the Bill that way. Finally I told them LOOK, WE CAME TO YOU FOR HELP AND I CAN SEE WE AREN"T GOING TO GET IT HERE. YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT, WE WILL RUN OUR BILL AND WE SHALL JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS. The upshot was that we try one more time to come up with something I would accept and I walked out.
Again we are at the point that we make Wentworth happy or we lose. Senator Carona has shown us that Wentworth controls the Senate, FOR NOW. I have talked to Jimmy and Robert and here is how it shapes up. We don’t think Senator Carona can pass Wentworth’s Bill in the House and he won’t bring ours up in the Senate. I shall go back into Mr. Polunsky’s office on Monday and tell him that Senator Carona can do as he sees fit. We will go with our Bill in the House and try to kill his in the Senate. If that fails we shall give it our best shot at killing it in the House.
We are citizens of this great State of Texas and we demand to be treated as such. So say I, so say we all !!!
We may just have to wait until we get some Democrat Chairmen again.
Sputnik
State Chair / TMRA 2

HB 253,The Road Block Bill will be heard in Law Enforcement Committee Monday morning at 8:00am in room E1.014 This Bill would allow road blocks to be set up by any law enforcement agency for four hours at a time. While it is supposedly aimed at stopping drunk driving it also gives them the choice to arrest passengers who may be drunk. It basically says anyone in the car can be arrested for ANY violation of law.
The Supreme Court ruled that being stopped at a checkpoint is the equivalent of detainment or arrest and no probable cause is required for a search. This Bill goes against everything this state and this country were founded on. Your Chairman will once again be there to testify against the Bill on your behalf. If you are free you could stop in and testify or sign a card in opposition to this Bill.
After the meeting I have to return to my doctor to get the results of some of my tests on Tuesday morning at 8:00am.
I am back in the office after undergoing the Ecktocardiogram this morning.
We will be meeting with Senator Carona’s crew again tomorrow on his helmet Bill SB 1368. Will head back to Houston for the COC Meeting on Saturday and be in Groesbeck on Sunday for the TOG Chapter meeting.

You can stop the phone calls now. They have heard you. Two riders have contacted me and said they would not bring the Bill out of committee until the calls stop.
Pass this on and thank you for the calls.

Sputnik

HOW DID OUR WEEKEND GO?

We were invited to attend the state meeting for the Alternative M/C (Clean& Sober) so we rode down to Mountain Breeze Campground Saturday morning. Good fellowship, good food and after they finished their meeting we spoke to them about TMRA 2. They were very attentive and asked several questions. After we finished talking to them ten of the members present came over and joined. Some of those present were already members.

The National President gave us a check for the club to become a member and told us that all members in Texas would become Legislative Warriors. We were invited to stick around for the Bar-B-Q and the Bands that would be playing Saturday night. We graciously declined because the old man was having a tough time breathing and was using up oxygen. We also had the Austin COC Meeting coming up the next day so we headed back to the office.

Sunday though the air was still pretty tough to breath we went to Cindy’s Gone HOG Wild for the COC meeting. The owners are really expanding and they said it was being done so bikers would have a good place to go. Prior to the unofficial meeting beginning Bart Luck our Austin Chapter Coordinator (with a big smile) handed Terri 17 memberships which he had received at the San Antonio COC Meeting. All of those came from the LEATHERNECKS M/C Chapter 6. Bandido Jimmy then told us that a that TMRA 2 membership would be required to prospect for that Club. Two clubs in one weekend making that pledge made it a worthwhile weekend but it didn’t end there.

Tom Zimmer, with CMA had taken a fantastic picture of those who rode infrom Beverly’s for Legislative Day, standing on the South Steps to the Capitol. They had blown it up into two 20x30 prints and framed. The two prints were presented to Bandido Jimmy as State President of the Texas COC and to Sputnik as chairman of TMRA 2. We also signed up three new members attending the COC meeting.

Prior to heading out we spoke with some of members of the Leathernecks M/C and Breeze agreed to assume the office of District 14 Advisor. Thirty memberships and a District Advisor. We call that a pretty good weekend. Now if each of you signed up just one member this weekend we have met our budget for the year. Haha

Sputnik

OK FOLKS IT IS CRUNCH TIME ON 706 THE EQUAL ACCESS BILL.
CHAIRMAN ROBY COOK HAS ONCE AGAIN FAILED TO PUT IT UP FOR A WEDNESDAY HEARING AS WE WERE TOLD.
EVERYONE WHO RECEIVES THIS NOTICE CALL HIS OFFICE STARTING MONDAY MORNING AT 8:00am.
ASK THEM WHY THE CHAIRMAN IS REFUSING TO PUT HB 706 BEFORE THE COMMITTEE WHEN WE HAVE 106 REPRESENTATIVES SAYING THEY WILL VOTE FOR THE BILL INCLUDING EVERY MEMBER OF THE CIVIL PRACTICES COMMITTEE AND THE CALENDARS COMMITTEE.
BE COPURTEOUS WITH THE FOLKS WHO ANSWER THE PHONE THEY DO NOT MAKE THE DECISIONS.

COOKS NUMBER IS 512-463-0730 800-643-7026
The committee clerk is 512-4632090 Call there and ask why the Bill
isn't posted.
I will be in Chairman Cook's office first thing Monday and I want to hear that phone ringing like it used to when we hit a snag in the capitol.
Pass this information to your friends.

Sputnik

I got up at 4:30am this morning having a pretty tough time breathing.
Crawled into the shower with Oxygen bottle attached, shaved and took my shower. Got dressed and started working on the computer. Made a pot of coffee so that would be ready then Jerry rolled out of bed to get ready for the trip into the capitol. Terry and Sherry got up before we left and we headed on out to Breakfast With The Bikers, sponsored by ABATE. They did a fine job as usual and had breakfast ready and several shining faces by the time we got there.

Everyone was having a good time sharing ideas and talking about different Bills. Rep. Elkins came in, got a snack, then sat down and said OK tell me all about it. Robert was on top of everything the way you expect a top gun to be. I traveled in and out talking to different Reps and staff.
I met our friend Commissioner Jerry Patterson and told him about SB 1368 the helmet Bill introduced by Senator Carona. He said he would talk to the Senator for us. Upon my return from Rep. Hopson’s office Commissioner Patterson was leaving and stopped to say "Sputnik, if that Bill goes to committee I will be there for you." I thanked him.

Robert and I took a few minutes to discuss action to be taken on SB 1368 during the Thursday meeting with Senator Carona. I told Robert about the substitute Bill I had asked Daniel to draw up for HB 727. The outcome of our talk was that we had compromised long enough. If Senator Carona wouldn’t accept the substitute Bill for HB 727 then it would be war. We agreed to give it every thing we could muster to kill his Bill in the Senate Transportation Committee. If we fail then we will attack every Bill he puts up for the rest of the session. Hopefully you will be ready to give it your full support if it comes to that.

Realizing I was not going to be able to walk the halls that afternoon Jerry and I went back to Rep. Hopson’s office to check whether the substitute was ready and were told it would be ready Tuesday afternoon.
Jerry and I left and headed back to the office. We will be back at work by 7:00am Tuesday morning getting votes for HB 727. WE will continue to do that until we see how the meeting comes out on Thursday.

Thanks for the breakfast ABATE. You Guys and Gals did a fine job of setting this up. I was a pleasure to see so many riders in the capitol again. You who weren’t there missed a fine time.
Look for a post Thursday night.

Sputnik

I have a meeting scheduled with Senator Carona and his head trauma expert on Thursday. I am hoping he will be reasonable. If not I will call for help from out of state and start getting ready for his hearing on HB 1368.
In the meantime I will continue working on HB 727 our Bill.
If he won’t back down I shall switch over to the "Failure To Yield Bill"
as the primary Bill to work and ask for support on HB 727 when in an office where we haven’t yet received an answer on it.

Hope to see some of you at "Breakfast With The Bikers on Monday".

We received three votes for the State Meeting to be held in Groesbeck.
Since that was the most votes for any one place the TMRA 2 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. District Advisors please contact your chapters and let them know.
I will contact those that do not have a District Advisor.

Thanks
Sputnik

We received word today that HB 706 the Equal Access Bill will be heard on the 28th. I will let you know when it is actually posted.
We will meet with Senator Carona on his helmet Bill SB 1368 that effectively kills our helmet modification Bill, HB 727 on March 22nd.
He says we will try to reach a compromise on his Bill. I see no way as it makes every part of the current helmet law stricter and calls for more harrassment by law enforcement.
Be prpared for a call to action and if it comes then act IMMEDIATELY.
Sputnik

SB 706, Equal Access is just waiting for a committee hearing. We are hoping it will come up next Wednesday. The votes are there for passage.
Senator Mike Jackson has agreed to Sponsor the Bill in the Senate.

As HB 727 was nearing the number of votes for a hearing we met with Senator Carona to see if he would Sponsor the Bill in the Senate. WE discussed several options including maybe making not wearing a helmet a secondary offense. He said he would give us an answer in a week.

I left there and talked to Daniel in Rep. Hopson’s office about maybe offering a substitute for 727 making it a secondary offense to not wear a helmet. He said that would be no problem.
Last night I got a call from Carona's Chief-of-Staff saying the Senator had introduced his own Bill. She said it requires both Rider Training and $150,000 in medical insurance. The fine for not wearing a helmet would increase to a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $1500. She said he will set up a meeting with me and a Trauma Specialist to see if we can work out a compromise on the BIll. No mention of any law enforcement officers at the meeting.
I don’t know how serious he is with his Bill but I know we can’t pass HB
727 in the Senate without his support as he is Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. At the same time I don’t believe he can pass his Bill in the House.

I recommend that everyone call his office and let him know you are very concerned with his SB 1368, especially those living in Dallas. Be courteous, those you will speak with had nothing to do with him filing this Bill. 512-463-0116

There was a flurry of bad Senate Bills introduced on the last day for filing as always. They save those for last hoping no one will notice. Log on http://www.capitol.state.tx.us and read a few of them for yourself. Especially SB 1260 by Seliger - SB 1268 by Nichols and SB 1291 by Nelson.

Sputnik

Rep. Patrick Rose has filed our Failure To Yield Right-of-Way bill and it is HB 2309!!!
We will start working as soon as necessary but all of you can contact your Reps and ask them to support HB 2309 "As Is".
See ya at the Rally.

Ride Safe and Free,
Dee McClure

High costs and funding problems inspire little public confidence
By Michelle West
The Daily Texan, Austin

Committee members asked the audience to maintain its composure as the crowd groaned in disapproval at statements made by a controversial transportation official addressing a state Senate panel Thursday.
The public hearing by the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security addressed the topics of toll roads, public-private partnerships and the Trans-Texas Corridor. These issues, along with Texas Department of Transportation Chairman Ric Williamson, evoked negative reactions from the vast majority of a witness list - that as of 8:30 a.m. numbered more than 80 - testifying in front of an audience of more than 1,000 people, many of whom opposed the buiding of the corridor.

Click link below to read the rest of this article...

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/03/02/TopStories/Texans.Speak.Out.Against.Corridor-2754341.shtml

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Kolkhorst files two bills that would kill the state's controversial corridor proposal
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 2:02 PM CST

AUSTIN - State Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) has filed two bills which she says would kill the state's controversial Trans-Texas Corridor highway proposal.
If passed, House Bill 1881 will repeal the Trans-Texas Corridor from the transportation code, effectively killing the proposal by removing the enabling legislation which would have served as the foundation for any future corridor project.

Click link below to read the rest of this article...

http://www.brenhambanner.com/articles/2007/02/27/news/news03.txt

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