November 27, 1999

The Transportation Committee is preparing to hear HB0117 on December 07, 1999.  It has released it's staff analysis of the Bill.  The analysis is pleasantly objective and surprisingly, brings up the social burden issue.

In the summery section, the analysis states, “Although the bill does not have a direct fiscal impact on the state, exempting riders over 21 years of age from protective headgear requirements may increase the number of deaths and injuries associated with motorcycle crashes. However, there are conflicting positions concerning the costs related to mandatory helmet laws and there is no definitive study which is conclusive on this issue.”  The use of the term “no definitive study” should help us in the future.

The analysis goes on to present three different sources to assist in clarifying the above statement.  First, and always haunting us, is the CODES study which was used to show that according to the NHTSA, “unhelmeted injured motorcyclists are three times as likely to suffer a brain injury compared to helmeted injured motorcyclists.”  There is no mention of costs related to head injury.  Unfortunately the response to this study done by the AMA and the MRF are not mentioned.

Using excerpts taken from fact sheets published by ABATE of Florida, the analysis portrays the following: 1) Automobile accidents result in an exponentially higher incidence of head injury than that of motorcyclists: 2) Motorcyclists have the most improved safety record of all categories of transportation and cause exponentially the least public burden than any other segment of the motoring public: 3) Motorcyclists have the most improved safety record of all categories of transportation and cause exponentially the least public burden than any other segment of the motoring public and  4) Motorcyclists, while having a disproportionate fatality rate compared to other road users, now has a rate declining more rapidly than any other group.

Finally, using an excerpt of the position statement from the official website of the American Motorcycle Association, the analysis stated, “Economic conditions on voluntary helmet use are unfairly discriminatory. There is no actuarial data to support this practice. It presumes motorcyclists to be a social burden, which they are not.  And circumvents the principle issue of voluntary helmet use...the right of adults to make personal safety decisions for themselves, free from governmental mandates.  In addition, the medical insurance requirement on HB-117 and SB-126 raise concerns of unwarranted stops and harassment by law enforcement of any motorcyclist riding without a helmet.”  This I feel is the strongest statement our legislators should hear in this analysis.

The Transportation Committees’ staff analysis brings up the social burden issue and then provides a defense against the social burden issue.  This may be the time to have the insurance requirement taken out by amendment.

If you would like to read the entire analysis click here.  You will need Adobe PDF to view this file.  I am also interested in any opinions you may have on this subject.  You can leave you opinion on the bulletin board or email me with you comments.
 

November 22, 1999

House Bill 0117 has been placed on the interim calendar of the Transportation Committee for Tuesday, December 07, 1999 at 3:30 PM.  Our bill is the the second of the the two bills to be heard during this meeting.  We need to call, write or email the members of this committee and ask for their support.  Again, because these are committee members, you do not need to be in their House District to voice your opinion and request that they support HB0117.  If you contact them by telephone and do not get to talk to the representative, make sure you give your comments to the staff member so they can relay it to the legislator.

This is an important committee where, in the past, we have had some opposition.  We need to contact the committee members in large numbers to ensure our political voice is heard.  Ask friends, family, neighbors, co workers and anyone else you can think of to help us.  Click here for committee member information.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Holiday.
 

November 17, 1999

Senator Kendrick Meek of District 36 signed on as a cosponsor to SB0126.  There are now 4 cosponsors joining Senator Burt Saunders on the bill.  Please let me know of any errors or dead links you may find on this site by clicking here
 

November 15, 1999

I have had some email contact with Representative Frank Farkas of District 52.  Representative Farkas' occupation is a Chiropractic Physician.  He is a member of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.  He is opposed to any legislation that would, "compromise the safety of our citizens."  I provided him with information that clearly reveals that riding without a helmet is as safe or safer that riding with a helmet.  Now, I need you to call or write him.  We need to educate him and the members in the remaining committees about riding without a helmet.  A short letter giving some of the facts about this issue and asking for support HB0117 is all that you need to do.  If you are stuck on what to say, you can get ideas from the sample letter page.  You can get addresses, phone numbers or email addresses by clicking on the highlighted committee.  All the information you need is within this website and the links here.  It will take you 15 minutes.  As of today, in the Health & Human Services Appropriations Committee we have only two cosponsors.  In the Transportation Committee, we have only four cosponsors.  The Transportation Committee will most likely hear HB0117 in a couple of weeks.  We need to get busy writing and calling if we are to have victories as we did in the first two committees.  Remember the issues: freedom of choice, safer that wearing a helmet, no burden to society.
 

November 10, 1999

All is quite in both the House and the Senate.  With the Thanksgiving Holiday coming up most legislators, in both chambers, will be returning to their district for the holiday.  This would be a good opportunity to call your legislator to set up a meeting.  Go to the Lobby Your Legislator page to help guide you along to set up this meeting.  Find your legislator by Clicking Here

Vicki Wooldridge is the Senior Legislative Assistant to Representative Harry C. Goode, Jr. of District 31.  Recently, Vicki offered the following suggestion to lobbying your representative.  "Remember, when making an appointment you may be asked to see the legislator's assistant due to scheduling conflicts, especially during session.  DON'T PASS THIS UP!  Take the appointment and treat the meeting as you would were you meeting with the legislator.  Our job as legislative assistants is to pass along info to the legislator in an accurate and timely manner and often, getting to know the assistant can be very beneficial in the long run!"  Thank you Vicki!  Sounds like good advise and a way to get a friend on the inside.  Representative Goode is a cosponsor of HB0117.

I have contacted all the members in the House to try to find out where they stand on HB0117.  Their answers are coming in and I will post their positions as soon as the number of responses become more meaningful.

Keep sending your letters and emails to your district representatives and to the Transportation Committee in the House.  We need a good showing with this committee.
 

November 04, 1999

With two decisive victories under our belt, we should have reason to be confident but a large battle looms ahead in the House Transportation Committee.  HB0117 is now in the Transportation Committee and will most likely be considered when the committee meets in the afternoon of December 7, 1999.  Last year HB0457 passed the Transportation Committee by a vote of 7 yeas to 3 nays.  We only have 4 cosponsors in this 11 member committee so we need to help them by calling, writing and sending emails to the committee. Here is a list of the Transportation Committee members and here are some sample letters.  We need to drum up all the support we can so tell everyone you know and help them contact this committee.

Six additional representatives from the House of Representatives have signed on to HB0117 bring the total to 36 cosponsors who have joined Representative Russell.  Last year only 22 members joined Representative Argenziano and Representative Dockery to cosponsor HB0457.

In the Florida Senate we picked up 2 additional cosponsors.  We now have 3 cosponsors joining Senator Saunder on SB0126.  All else remains quite for now in the Senate.

I would really appreciate more opinions on the voice your opinion page.  I think it would help everyone who visits this site to hear what others are doing and to get different points of view concerning the helmet issue.
 

November 02, 1999, 5:35 PM

By a vote of nine yes to two no, HB0117 passed through the Insurance Committee.

According to Representatives Bainter's office, this was, "great news."  The staff of the Insurance Committee said "there was no debate on it."  House Bill 0117 steam rolled through the Insurance Committee.  The two no votes came from Vice Chair, Leslie Waters of District 51 and Representative Doug Wiles, from District 20. Voting yes were Chairman, Representative Bainter and Representatives, Byrd, Cosgrove, Dockery, Goode, Heyman, Melvin, Sublette and Tullis.  So we have two committees down and two to look forward to in the House.  We now need to again write and call the members of the Insurance Committee.  Thank those who voted for us and ask those that are not cosponsors of HB0117 to sign on the bill as cosponsors.   For those that didn't see it our way, thank them for taking the time to consider this issue.   Find out what their objections area and ask them what we could do to get them to support HB0117 when it comes to the House Floor.