The St. Croix Valley Riders


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Minnesota

Legislative Coordinator Jim Dahling

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Contact your State Senator

Who are my Elected Officials?

Click here for the MRF Report from Washington - May 2011

Legislative Update Minnesota

2011 MN Year End Wrap-Up

2011 looks to be a year of nothing substantive changing in relation to motorcycle rights, however, that is not always a bad thing.
We saw many motorcycle related bills introduced, however, hardly anything made it to the Governor’s desk.
On a sad note, our bill to create increased penalties for distracted driving which results in the death of an individual failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A bill to allow for a motorcycle disability license plate did pass and the Governor signed the legislation into law.
We saw several bills introduced which would have impacted motorcyclists—none of which passed, everything from how some motorcycles could be registered for special road use, to a study of how non-highway motor fuel is being used. Another bill would allow for “Start watching for Motorcycles” license plate.
There was a bill, which called for mandatory helmets for all bicycle riders age 15 and under—this bill was never given a hearing.
Our Motorcycle Safety Fund has not been diverted to anything other than motorcycle safety/training projects. Our right to choose if we wear a helmet or not, is still our choice.
MN continues to be a great place to ride.

              Ride Safe and Free!
              Jim Dahling
              MN Legislative Director

Senate information---651-296-0504. House public information office 651-296-2146 , or 800--657-3550 for meeting schedules and publications. Recorded meeting times and daily agendas for committees call House- 651-296-9283, and Senate 651-296-8088.

Wisconsin

Legislative Coordinator Mike Deavey

Contact your State Representative

Contact your State Senator

Who are my State Legislators?

Legislative Update Wisconsin

December 2011

ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day will be held
January 24, 2012
You are invited to join other Grassroots-Citizen-Bikers in Madison, Wisconsin

From Dave Dwyer, ABATE of Wisconsin Legislative Chairman

AB55 passed the State Assembly on November 1, 2012 and has been sent to the State Senate. ABATE of Wisconsin, Inc. has set their lobby day to help push this bill through to the Governors desk without amendments.

AB55, our bill that moves the license suspension for Right of Way violations that cause serious injury or death to an administrative function of the DOT instead of relying on the court system to sentence violators to the required suspension passed the State Assembly with a voice vote. It has now been moved to the State Senate and should be in committee hearings by early January. This news, along with the successful grassroots lobby day training that ABATE of Wisconsin held November 6-7 has prompted our legislative committee to set January 24, 2012 as a firm date for our 2012 lobby day.

Bus schedules are being confirmed at this time and ABATE members should refer to their December ABATE of Wisconsin Newsletter for more information. No experience necessary. We will once again set up our headquarters at Inn on the Park where information and handouts will be available. Your help is needed to make sure this bill passes in this legislative session. For more information please contact our legislative director at laws@abatewis.org, or your St Croix Valley Riders Legislative Director Mike Deavey at mdeavey@hotmail.com . We would like to have a head count for those interested in attending,this will help with bus scheduling.

See you at the next meeting!

Mike Deavey

Minnesota Bills & Links

Bill # & Link	Bill Topic and Status – updated as of 4/18/2011
HF 68	A bill for an act relating to crimes; providing that careless driving resulting in death is a gross misdemeanor; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.13, by adding a subdivision. Introduced by Rep. Garofalo and referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance on 1/13/11 Passed by the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee and referred to the Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee on 1/26/11 Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee laid bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill or for further action at a later time on 2/10/11 Companion bill: SF 201

HF 85	A bill for an act relating to crimes; providing penalty for careless driving resulting in death; providing for revocation of violator's driver's license; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 169.13, by adding a subdivision; 171.17, subdivision 1; 171.30, subdivision 2a. Introduced by Rep. Morrow and referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance on 1/13/11. Companion bill: SF 613

A bill for an act relating to traffic regulations; increasing penalties for unlawful passing on the right resulting in bodily injury or death; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.18, by adding a subdivision.

Introduced by Rep. Ward and referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance on 1/18/11.

A bill for an act relating to motor vehicles; modifying fees for transactions relating to motor vehicles and drivers' licenses; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 168.33, subdivision 7; 171.06, subdivisions 2, 2a.

• Introduced by Reps. Howes; Davids; McFarlane; Sanders; Hansen; Murdock; McNamara; Hornstein; Morrow; Gunther; Koenen; Urdahl; Lanning; Huntley; Gauthier; Cornish; Nelson; Slawik; Carlson; Dill; Anderson, P.; Torkelson; Poppe; Nornes; Hamilton; Pelowski; Brynaert; Beard; Abeler; Atkins and Slocum and referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy & Finance on 2/3/11

• Committee hearing scheduled for Monday, March 14th at 12:30 pm in Room 5 of the State Office Building

• Passed by Committee on Transportation and Finance with slight amendments and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means on 3/14/2011

• NOTE: We are watching this bill as it involves the same section that funds the Motorcycle Safety fund however there is no change proposed related to the fund itself.

Companion Bill: SF 368

A bill for an act relating to traffic regulations; requiring bicycle operators under age 16 to wear protective headgear; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.222, subdivision 6.

Introduced by Representatives Kahn, Lillie, Hornstein, Hausman and Mariani and referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 3/7/11
NOTE: We are watching this bill to make sure there are no attempts to expand the bill to take away motorcyclists’ freedom of choice

Companion Bill: SF 596

A bill for an act relating to motor vehicles; providing for disability motorcycle plate; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 168.021; 169.345, subdivisions 1, 3.

Introduced by Representatives Shimanski; Anderson, B.; O'Driscoll; Rukavina; Urdahl; Leidiger; Lohmer; Hansen and LeMieur and referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 3/14/11
House has set their bill aside and is acting on SF 478 with first reading of the Senate bill and referral to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 3/28/11
Passed by the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 5/3/11 with the Second Reading on the House Floor on 5/3/11

Companion Bill: SF 478

A bill for an act relating to natural resources; modifying operating provisions for certain recreational vehicles; providing for dual registration of certain motorcycles; modifying special vehicle use on roadways; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 84.777, subdivision 2; 84.788, by adding a subdivision; 84.9257; 168.002, subdivision 18; 168A.085; 169.045, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Introduced by Representative Hackbarth and referred to the Committee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance on 3/23/11
Passed as amended by the Committee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance on 4/28/11 and referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance
Passed as amended by the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 5/3/11 and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

Companion Bill: SF 1041

A bill for an act relating to traffic regulations; amending requirements for travel in left-hand lanes; modifying driver's manual; making technical changes; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 169.18, subdivisions 7, 10, by adding a subdivision; 171.13, by adding a subdivision; 357.021, subdivision 6.

Introduced by Representatives Hoppe, Holberg and Zellers and referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 3/29/11

HF 1505	A bill for an act relating to motor vehicles; establishing Start Seeing Motorcycles special license plates; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 168. Introduced by Representative Hackbarth and referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 4/18/2011 Companion Bill: SF 1226
SF 201	A bill for an act relating to crimes; providing that careless driving resulting in death is a gross misdemeanor; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.13, by adding a subdivision. Introduced by Sen. DeKruif, Thompson, Magnus, Gimse, and Koch and referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on 2/2/2011 Heard in the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on 3-1-11 where it was tabled on a voice vote. Hearing scheduled in the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, April 12 at 1 p.m. in Room 15 of the State Capitol Companion Bill: HF 68
SF 368	A bill for an act relating to motor vehicles; modifying fees for transactions relating to motor vehicles and drivers’ licenses; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 168.33, subdivision 7; 171.06, subdivisions 2, 2a. Introduced by Senators Senjem, Rosen, Sheran, Sparks and Magnus and referred to the Committee on Transportation on 2/17/11 Passed by the Committee on Transportation as amended on 3/10/11 and referred to the Committee on Finance Passed by the Committee on Finance on 3/22/11 and sent to the Senate floor for consideration Second reading on Senate floor on 3/23/11 Companion Bill: HF 347

SF 478	A bill for an act relating to motor vehicles; providing for disability motorcycle plate; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 168.021; 169.345, subdivisions 1, 3. Introduced by Senators DeKruif, Parry, Sheran, Magnus and Harrington and referred to the Committee on Transportation on 2/28/11 Passed by the Committee on Transportation on 3/10/11 Second reading on Senate floor on 3/10/11 Passed on General Orders on Senate floor on 3/21/11 which means it is ready to be placed on the Senate calendar for a final vote Third reading and passage on Senate floor on 3/24/11 (vote 62-0) First reading in the House on 3/28/11 and referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance Passed by the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance on 5/3/11 with the Second Reading on the House Floor on 5/3/11

SF 596	A bill for an act relating to traffic regulations; requiring bicycle operators under age 16 to wear protective headgear; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.222, subdivision 6. Introduced by Senators Dibble and Sieben and referred to the Committee on Transportation on 3/7/11 NOTE: We are watching this bill to make sure there are no attempts to expand the bill to take away motorcyclists’ freedom of choice Companion Bill: HF 918

SF 613	A bill for an act relating to crimes; providing penalty for careless driving resulting in death; providing for revocation of violator’s driver’s license; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 169.13, by adding a subdivision; 171.17, subdivision 1; 171.30, subdivision 2a. Introduced by Senators Sheran, Dibble, and Kelash and referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety on 3/7/11 Companion Bill: HF 85

SF 682	A bill for an act relating to transportation; appropriating money to Center for Transportation Studies for a study on motor fuel use for non-highway purposes. Introduced by Senators Dibble and Marty and referred to the Committee on Transportation on 3/9/11

SF 1041	A bill for an act relating to natural resources; modifying operating provisions for certain recreational vehicles; providing for dual registration of certain motorcycles; modifying special vehicle use on roadways; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 84.777, subdivision 2; 84.788, by adding a subdivision; 84.9257; 168.002, subdivision 18; 168A.085; 169.045, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8. Introduced by Senator Saxhaug and referred to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on 3/25/11 Companion Bill: HF 1283
SF 1106	A bill for an act relating to natural resources; modifying operating provisions for certain recreational vehicles; providing for dual registration of certain motorcycles; modifying special vehicle use on roadways; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 84.777, subdivision 2; 84.788, by adding a subdivision; 84.9257; 168.002, subdivision 18; 168A.085; 169.045, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8. Introduced by Senators Gazelka and Carlson and referred to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on 4/7/11 Passed as amended (further defining ATV) by the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and referred to the Committee on Transportation on 4/14/11 Amended by the Committee on Transportation on 4/28/11 and laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill
SF 1226	A bill for an act relating to motor vehicles; establishing Start Seeing Motorcycles special license plates; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 168. Introduced by Senators DeKruif, Magnus, and Koch and referred to the Committee on Transportation on 4/18/2011 Companion Bill: HF 1505