LEGISLATIVE DAY PRIMER
I was laid up for the entire month of December so we are running behind our normal schedule but we will catch up some slack next week. We seldom have all our Bills filed by Legislative Day but we will as always have a list of the Bills we will be getting filed and who will be filing them.
We have asked Rep. Chuck Hopson to file the
Failure To Yield Bill. There are already 3 filed but we want a Bill that includes using a cell phone at the time of a collision to double the minimum penalty if it causes a collision and double the maximum penalty if the collision results in injury or death. We will have a paper prepared giving talking points as to why this should be acceptable to the legislators. We will be holding another Bill in reserve in case we have to change quickly.
We will be seeking an Author for the
HIPAA Bill. We plan to ask Rep Smithee first as he heads up the Insurance Committee. If he is not agreeable to file it we will look elsewhere but we will have an Author prior to Legislative Day and talking points will also be ready for that.
There will be a
Helmet Bill and a
Alcohol Checkpoint Bill which we will oppose. There will be other Bills that we will support or oppose as the session moves along.
This is just a primer on what to expect when you get to the capitol. You will be met in the Rotunda (the center of the capitol on the first floor) by our staff. If you don’t know who your Rep and Senator are we will help you find out. We will then tell you how to find their offices. It works best if you already have appointments made for that day and about three of you go in together. If you have never been there before we will be happy to send someone in with you to introduce you and get you started talking.
Talk about only one Bill during your visit. Study the talking points on the Bill you plan to discuss and be prepared to answer questions on that Bill. Be courteous, if you can’t answer a question tell them you will get back with them on it and then report to us what the question was. Leave the talking points paper with them and thank them for their time.
This year we will have one exception to the one issue talk. As you are finishing up let them know we want our Rider Training Fund put back into a 402 account. We can’t afford to have DPS taking over $250,000 per year out of our Budget. Explain that the money for that Fund is only paid by licensed riders and we would like to increase our Budget but not to just give more money to the DPS.
We are generally recognized from the House Floor for being so politically active during Legislative Day. We won’t know what time that will take place until we actually get there. It is imperative that we fill the gallery when this happens. The gallery holds 500 people and we need to fill every seat. Plan on staying at the capitol for a few hours. Walk around, go to the cafeteria or what ever but stay there until we are recognized from the Floor.
We shall try to arrange to have a Resolution read from the Senate Floor this time as well. Of course we will try to plan them so they take place at different times. Jan 26th is the single most important day of the session for riders. For most it is the only day you will make an appearance. When I start the steady grind of making the rounds each day it is always nice to hear someone say “Oh yeh Sputnik, some of your people came by yesterday (last week or when ever) and talked about that Bill. I will support it.”
A WORD OF CAUTION: Do not try to force a legislator to say whether they will support the Bill or not. If they are not completely sold on the Bill and you push them for support they will most probably say NO. It requires several meetings to convince a legislator that a controversial Bill deserves their support. Each Bill usually takes 500-600 individual meetings to get enough support to pass a Bill. If you force them to say no on that first visit it is unlikely we can change their mind later. Leave them uncommitted and let us try to work our magic on a daily basis
Thank you in advance for taking the time to be at Legislative Day. Believe it, your attendance can make all the difference in the world. Of course we will need support for committee hearings and Floor Votes but this is our day to shine.
Sputnik
State Chair
Texas Motorcycle Rights Association
