Hill City Cruisers Riding Club

2012-02-13T18:57:00.003-05:00

Both Bills Pass the Senate

Thank you to everyone who helped both HB 187 and HB 97 pass the GeneralAssembly. HB 187 came out of the Senate on a unanimous vote. Once theGovernor signs the bill it becomes law on July 1, 2012. That means thatpractice of holding motorcycle only checkpoints in Virginia is finished.

HB 97 (Two Abreast, which was amended to Two Abreast for Two WheeledMotorcycles) came out of the Senate on a 38-2 vote. It will have to go back tothe House to be conformed since there was an amendment. Since the patron seesthis as a friendly amendment that will not be an issue. The bill will then goto the Governor’s desk and will become law on July 1, 2012.

For the second year in a row we (and I mean we as the collective motorcyclingcommunity) have changed the law in a significant way for the betterment of motorcycling. Each of you has my sincerest thanks. I am proud to be a part of this amazingcommunity.

Matt Danielson

2012-02-09T22:26:00.001-05:00

BeforeI report what happened to our two bills which were heard in the SenateTransportation Committee today, let me describe what the committee room lookedlike. It looked like the hospitality suite at a motorcyclistsconvention. Motorcyclists from all over the state filled the room. We had members of the U.S. Military Vets MC, Red Knights, Blue Knights, CMA,ABATE of Virginia, HOG, GWRRA and many others. (Please forgive me if Ioverlooked anyone). The bottom line is that the committee room was filledwith motorcyclists who had taken time from work to be in Richmond in support ofthese bills. Their support was crucial to our success yesterday. Infact, Senator McWaters made it clear that, with regard to HB 97, he changed hisvote in favor of the bill due to his conversations with members of the U.S.Military Vets MC prior to committee. Thanks guys for your help.

Let’sstart with HB 187, our bill to prohibit motorcycle only checkpoints inVirginia. We passed out of committee unanimously. That means thatwe will go the Senate floor in a block with other bills that have passedcommittee on a unanimous vote. There should be no debate on these billsand they should pass easily. It is a fast track to the Governor’s deskfor a signature. It looks like one discriminatory practice in Virginia isabout to meet its end. This would not have happened without the help ofmotorcyclists across this state. Congratulations to all.

As forHB 97 (Two Abreast) we came out (with your help and with an amendment) by avote of 9-4. Here is what happened. We went into committee with avery close vote count. Jim, Tom and I had spent the week meeting withcommittee members. As usual the senators and/or staff members mentioned theemails that they were receiving. An important vote on the committeewas Senator Carrico who is a former Virginia State Trooper. His vote wasimportant due to his close relationship to the State Police. The strategyof the State police was to get Carrico’s vote and have him be the voice ofopposition on the committee in hopes of turning some votes. We turned toWes Hurst, the founder of the Virginia Bikers Association in South WestVirginia. Wes dropped everything he was doing and quickly mobilizedmotorcyclists in Senator Carrico’s district. At last count SenatorCarrico’s office received over 200 emails from his own constituents in supportof HB 97. That was on top of the ones that the rest of us sent. Without Wes and his people’s efforts the vote yesterday could have been different. Thank you Wes and everyone who made their feelings known.

Thatbeing said, there was an amendment. It was offered at the lastminute. The amendment made it clear that the only two wheeled motorcycleswould be exempted from the prohibition against riding two abreast. Theprohibition would remain in effect for trikes. This was out of a concernthat three wheeled motorcycles were wider and therefore left less space tomaneuver in case of an emergency situation when riding abreast. While wewere not happy with the amendment, upon conferring with several motorcyclegroups in attendance it was agreed that we would not oppose the amendment. Ifneed be we would seek to address it in future sessions. After theamendment, on which we actually had no voice anyway, the bill was passed by avote of 9-4. It came out of committee largely intact. I personallydo not feel the amendment does much as the only motorcyclists that we have everhad to help with this issue are two wheeled bikes. You can see how eachsenator voted below. A yea vote is a vote in favor of the bill.

YEAS--Newman,Puckett, Wagner, Deeds, McDougle, Smith, Marsden, McWaters, Carrico--9.

NAYS--Marsh,Watkins, Blevins, Favola--4.

ABSTENTIONS--Miller,Y.B., Colgan--2.

We arenow on to the full Senate. This truly is the final push. It is timeto get those emails flowing one more time. Below is a list of the fullSenate. As always remember to put your address especially if you are aconstituent. Remember that emails to each individual Senator work muchbetter than a mass email to all. I would not mention HB 187. Concentrate on HB 97. HB 187 is on a fast track and the only thing emailswill do now is alert someone who may have a problem with it. It is timeto step aside and let that one roll. When addressing HB 97 it would behelpful to tell them that it has passed the Senate Transportation Committee andwill soon be heard on the Senate Floor so that they do not assume that you arewriting about a bill that is still in the House. Lastly I would suggestthat if you email the committee members who voted for the bill I would simplythank them for their vote and continued support of this important issue. As for all others we need to make our pitch. Thank you again to all whohave taken their time to make Virginia a better place for motorcyclists.

Matt Danielson

McGrath & Danielson

Tom McGrath's Motorcycle Law Group

1-800-321-8968

Motorcyclelawgroup.com

Senator Barker - district39@senate.virginia.gov Senator Black - district13@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Blevins - district13@senate.virginia.gov Senator Carrico – district40@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Colgan – district29@senate.virginia.gov Senator Deeds – district25@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Ebbin – district30@senate.virginia.gov Senator Edwards – district21@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Favola – district31@senate.virginia.gov Senator Garrett – district22@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Hanger – district24@senate.virginia.gov Senator Herring – district33@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Howell – district33@senate.virginia.gov Senator Locke – district02@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Lucas – district18@senate.virginia.gov Senator Marsden – district37@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Marsh – district16@senate.virginia.gov Senator Martin – district11@senate.virginia.gov

Senator McDougle – district04@senate.virginia.gov Senator McEachin – district09@senate.virginia.gov

Senator McWaters – district08@senate.virginia.gov Senator John Miller– district01@senate.virginia.gov

Senator YvonneMiller – district05@senate.virginia.gov Senator Newman – district23@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Norment – district03@senate.virginia.gov Senator Northam – district06@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Obenshain –district26@senate.virginia.gov Senator Petersen – district34@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Puckett – district38@senate.virginia.gov Senator Puller – district36@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Reeves – district17@senate.virginia.gov Senator Ruff – district15@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Saslaw – district35@senate.virginia.gov Senator Smith – district19@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Stanley – district20@senate.virginia.gov Senator Stosch – district12@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Stuart – district28@senate.virginia.gov Senator Vogel – district27@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Wagner – district07@senate.virginia.gov Senator Watkins – district10@senate.virginia.gov

2012-02-07T18:40:00.001-05:00

Now that we know that HB 97 (Two Abreast) and HB 187 (Motorcycle OnlyCheckpoints) will be heard in the Senate Transportation Committee tomorrow itis time to make one last push. We have made it through the House but the Senatewill be tougher. We have again been told by numerous sources that emails havea strong impact on the legislators.

If you have not emailed members of the committee now is the time doso. If you have already sent emails then write one for your spouse, child,brother etc. and keep the pressure on. Below you will find the names and emailaddresses of each member of the Senate Transportation Committee. Rememberthat individual emails mean more than simple mass emails. Additionally,make sure to include your address especially if you are a constituent.

I hope to see as many of you as possible at the Senate TransportationCommittee Meeting tomorrow. I want to pack the front rows with motorcyclistsdressed clearly as motorcyclists to let the Senate Transportation Committeemembers see how important these issues are to us.

Matt Danielson

Senator Newman (Chairman)- district23@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Y. Miller - district05@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Marsh - district16@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Watkins - district10@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Puckett - district38@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Wagner - district07@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Blevins - district14@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Deeds - district25@senate.virginia.gov

Senator McDougle - district04@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Smith - district19@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Marsden - district37@senate.virginia.gov

Senator McWaters - district08@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Colgan - district29@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Carrico -district40@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Favola - district31@senate.virginia.gov

2012-02-05T09:40:00.001-05:00

Nothing is as constant as change. We have now received word fromSenator Newman’s office that House bills will be heard at the TransportationCommittee meeting on Wednesday the 8^th. That being said we do notknow which House bills at this time. That means that our bills could be heardthis Wednesday. For the time being the safe thing to do is to assume that tobe the case. Once we have confirmation I will pass it along so that we canpack the committee room that afternoon. In the mean time let’s keep theemails rolling. Until next time.

Matt Danielson

2012-02-02T19:19:00.001-05:00

Jim spoke to Senator Newman’s Office today. We have been toldthat the House bills will not be heard until crossover. The Senator’said believes that both HB 97 and HB 187 will be heard on Wednesday, February 15one half hour after session ends. This is a best estimate right now but I amconfident that it is accurate.

I believe that the number of people we had present in the House TransportationCommittee added to our vote tally. It would be great if we could pack theSenate as well. As we get closer I will verify February 15^th as theday for both bills to be heard.

Matt Danielson

2012-02-01T18:30:00.001-05:00

The Senate Transportation Committee has taken up its final Senate billstoday. We therefore believe that HB 97 (Our bill to remove the prohibitionagainst two motorcycles riding abreast) will be heard next Wednesday the 8^thone half hour after session ends. We do not have confirmation of this and willtry to get confirmation tomorrow. That being said we want to make sure that wepack the Senate Transportation Committee Room. We need more bodies than lasttime because the Senate rooms are much larger than the House rooms.

It is time to get the emails going again. I cannot stress stronglyenough how helpful these emails have been. Below you will find the names andemail addresses of each member of the Senate Transportation Committee. Remember that individual emails mean more than simple mass emails. Additionally, make sure to include your address especially if you are a constituent.

Senator Newman (Chairman)- district23@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Y. Miller - district05@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Marsh - district16@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Watkins - district10@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Puckett - district38@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Wagner - district07@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Blevins - district14@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Deeds - district25@senate.virginia.gov

Senator McDougle - district04@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Smith - district19@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Marsden - district37@senate.virginia.gov

Senator McWaters - district08@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Colgan - district29@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Carrico -district40@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Favola - district31@senate.virginia.gov

On a non-legislativenote, we have finally heard from the Court of Appeals on our 15 helmet appealsthat stemmed from the checkpoints at the Virginia Beach Bike Classic. TheCourt of Appeals has granted our Petitions for Appeal in all 15 cases. Thatmeans that they agree that we have raised issues substantial enough to warrant argumentbefore the court. The vast majority of petitions are rejected so the fact thatwe were granted an appeal in all 15 cases is a good sign. We will keep youinformed as these cases proceed.

Matt Danielson

2012-01-31T21:00:00.000-05:00

HB187 - Prohibiting Motorcycle Only Checkpoints - Passed the House by a vote of 85-10. We now move on to the Senate with this one as well. This is another testament to the hard work of motorcyclists throughout Virginia. You can see a breakdown of how each member voted on HB187 at the link below:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+vot+HV0320+HB0187

Once this bill has been referred to a committee in the Senate we will pass that information along.

HB97 - Two Abreast – has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee. I will be providing the email addresses of each of the committee members in the near future. For the time being I would ask that we hold off on emails until we know whether this bill will be heard before or after crossover (the date after which each legislative body may only consider legislation from the other legislative body). This year that date is February 15. Timing is important and we don’t want to hit them too early.

I want to thank everyone once again. I know we are only half way through the battle on each of these important pieces of legislation but the support that we have been able to gather to date has been impressive. That being said we are ONLY HALF WAY THROUGH. Until the governor signs each bill we are not finished. That can’t happen until we can get both of these bills through the Senate. Get ready for round two.

Matt Danielson

2012-01-30T19:07:00.002-05:00

HB97 - Two Abreast - Passed the House by a vote of 80 - 19.Great job Virginia motorcyclists. We now move on to the Senate. You can see a breakdown of how eachmember voted on HB97 at the link below:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+vot+HV0297+HB0097

HB97 will almost certainly be referred to the Senate TransportationCommittee but there is a slight chance that it could go to Courts. No referralhas been made at the time of this posting. When it is finally referred I willpublish the names and email addresses of the appropriate committee members.

HB187 - Prohibiting Motorcycle Only Checkpoints - Passedits second reading by voice vote and moves on to it's third reading tomorrow.

Matt Danielson

2012-01-29T15:38:00.001-05:00

HB97 (Two Abreast) passed by voice vote and was engrossed. The third reading will be Monday. It is expected to pass and move on to the Senate. HB187 (Motorcycle Only Checkpoints) will have its second reading on Monday and has strong support in the House of Delegates. The support both bills have enjoyed is due to each and everyone of you who have worked for both of these important pieces of legislation. We will continue to report on each and as they move onto the Senate and are assigned a committee we will pass on that information as well.

2012-01-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

HB187 (Prohibition Against Motorcycle Only Checkpoints) reported out ofthe House Transportation Committee to the full House by a vote of 20-1. The only dissent was Delegate Robert H. Brink (DelRBrink@house.virginia.gov) who represents parts of Arlington and Fairfax .Even though the State Police testified that they do not take a position on thisbill because such checkpoints would violate their policy, would be unfair andvery well may be illegal, Delegate Brink still voted against this bill. That means that instead of going to the house in a block with other uncontestedbills, HB187 will go on the regular calendar.

That being said it still enjoys strong support in the House ofDelegates and we believe it will pass and move on to the Senate. Howeverlet’s not take anything for granted. I have included the emailaddresses of all members of the House in case you have not yet voiced yoursupport for this piece of legislation.(see email address's in previous post)

I have received requests from several legislative aids that you includeyour name and address on any emails that you send. It helps them inbreaking down emails from constituents which they must do. Otherwise theyhave to go check your name against the voter rolls in their districts.

HB97 (Two Abreast) will be on its second reading tomorrow. Thisis where the bill will be debated on the House floor. If you would liketo watch the debate you can go to the following link: http://legis.virginia.gov/ To the right of the screen you will see quick links. Click on“House Session Live Video” to watch the session live. Sessionstarts at noon. We will report the vote when we receive it.

Matt Danielson

2012-01-26T07:52:00.000-05:00

HB 187 which prohibits motorcycle only checkpoints reported out of sub-committeeby a unanimous vote. It will be heard in full committee tomorrow morning. Itshould not be a problem due to its strong showing in sub-committee. Additionallyevery delegate to whom we have spoken has received well our argument thatmotorcycle only checkpoints are discriminatory and possibly illegal. I wouldurge you to email the members of the transportation committee on this bill. Incase you misplaced them I have included the email addresses of theTransportation Committee members below.

HB 97 is receiving strong overall support and will have its firstreading tomorrow and its second reading on Friday. The second reading is wherethe delegates will cast their first votes so continue with those emails to thefull House. It is working.

If anyone has any questions or concerns about either of these bills oron the legislative process through which they are working please feel free tocontact me.

Matt Danielson

2012-01-25T07:40:00.001-05:00

First let me start by apologizing for my writing and/or spellingbut I am exhausted. Next let me thank all who showed up and packed thecommittee room today. Session ran long but our folks hung in and when itcame time for our bill to be heard the room was packed with dedicatedmotorcyclists. I am convinced that our presence, coupled with thenumerous emails, is what helped us secure a vote of 15-6 to move HB97 on to thefloor of the House of Delegates. So take a minute to pat yourselves onthe back and then roll up your sleeves. It is time to get back towork. Below are the email addresses of every member of the House ofDelegates. Let’s flood their email boxes with emails in support ofHB97. If our calculations are correct it will come up for a vote onThursday so it is important that we voice our opinion now. Thank youagain for all who took their time to come and sit through committee. Ittruly made a difference. Thank you also to those who could not make itbut took the time to send emails and convinced your neighbors and friends to dothe same. Let’s give this another push and get it through the House andon to the Senate.

On another note. HB 187 (Motorcycle Only Checkpoints) isbeing heard in subcommittee tommorow morining at 7:00 a.m. Jim, Tom and Iwill be there to speak on the bill and will report the results. Aspromised the addresses of the full house are listed below:

Matt Danielson

DelDAlbo@house.virginia.gov

DelKAlexander@house.virginia.gov

DelRAnderson@house.virginia.gov

DelMBaCote@house.virginia.gov

DelDBell@house.virginia.gov

DelRBell@house.virginia.gov

DelRBrink@house.virginia.gov

DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov

DelKByron@house.virginia.gov

DelBCarr@house.virginia.gov

DelBCline@house.virginia.gov

DelMCole@house.virginia.gov

DelBComstock@house.virginia.gov

DelJCosgrove@house.virginia.gov

DelJCox@house.virginia.gov

DelKCox@house.virginia.gov

DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov

DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov

DelBPurkey@house.virginia.gov

DelLPutney@house.virginia.gov

DelDRamadan@house.virginia.gov

DelMRansone@house.virginia.gov

DelRRobinson@house.virginia.gov

DelNRush@house.virginia.gov

DelTRust@house.virginia.gov

DelEScott@house.virginia.gov

DelJScott@house.virginia.gov

DelBSherwood@house.virginia.gov

DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov

DelLSpruill@house.virginia.gov

DelCStolle@house.virginia.gov

DelSSurovell@house.virginia.gov

DelACrockett-Stark@house.virginia.gov

DelRDance@house.virginia.gov

DelMDudenhefer@House.virginia.gov

DelJEdmunds@house.virginia.gov

DelDEnglin@house.virginia.gov

DelMFariss@house.virginia.gov

DelPFarrell@house.virginia.gov

DelEFiller-Corn@house.virginia.gov

DelSGarrett@house.virginia.gov

DelTGilbert@house.virginia.gov

DelTGreason@house.virginia.gov

DelGHabeeb@house.virginia.gov

DelCHead@house.virginia.gov

DelGHelsel@house.virginia.gov

DelCHerring@house.virginia.gov

DelKHodges@house.virginia.gov

DelPHope@house.virginia.gov

DelAHowell@house.virginia.gov

Delwhowell@house.virginia.gov

DelTHugo@house.virginia.gov

DelSIaquinto@house.virginia.gov

DelRIngram@house.virginia.gov

DelMJames@house.virginia.gov

DelJJohnson@house.virginia.gov

DelCJones@house.virginia.gov

DelMKeam@house.virginia.gov

DelRVillanueva@house.virginia.gov

DelJWard@house.virginia.gov

DelOWare@house.virginia.gov

DelLWare@house.virginia.gov

DelMWatson@house.virginia.gov

DelVWatts@house.virginia.gov

DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov

DelBTata@house.virginia.gov

DelTKilgore@house.virginia.gov

DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov

DelKKory@house.virginia.gov

DelSLandes@house.virginia.gov

DelJLeMunyon@house.virginia.gov

DelLLewis@house.virginia.gov

DelSLingamfelter@house.virginia.gov

DelALopez@House.virginia.gov

DelMLoupassi@house.virginia.gov

DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov

DelBMarshall@house.virginia.gov

DelJMassie@house.virginia.gov

DelJMay@house.virginia.gov

DelJMcClellan@house.virginia.gov

DelDMcQuinn@house.virginia.gov

DelDMerricks@house.virginia.gov

DelJMiller@house.virginia.gov

DelRMinchew@house.virginia.gov

DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov

DelRMorris@house.virginia.gov

DelJMorrissey@house.virginia.gov

DelJOBannon@house.virginia.gov

delioquinn@house.virginia.gov

DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov

DelCPeace@house.virginia.gov

DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov

DelMWebert@house.virginia.gov

DelTWilt@house.virginia.gov

DelTWright@house.virginia.gov

DelDYancey@house.virginia.gov

DelJYost@House.virginia.gov

DelDToscano@house.virginia.gov

DelRTyler@house.virginia.gov

2012-01-23T19:14:00.002-05:00

Some of you who are making arrangements toattend tomorrow’s House Transportation Committee meeting have been tryingto verify that hb97 is on the docket because the General Assembly website isnot showing it. I just got off the phone with Delegate May’s office. Heis the House Transportation Committee Chairman. His office has verified thatHB97 will be heard tomorrow in full committee which will meet one half hourafter session. Session starts at noon so I would think that 1:00 p.m. shouldbe safe. Keep in mind that this is an approximation because we do not know howlong session will last. The General Assembly building is locatedat 9^th and Broad Street in Richmond . There are parking garages at 6^thSt. between Grace and Franklin as well as at8^th and Clay St . The House committee rooms are on the first floor to the right after you passthrough the metal detectors.

Matt Danielson

2012-01-20T19:15:00.002-05:00

1-20-12

Jim and I have been at the Capitol non-stop. We were informed by one delegate that we should concentrate on the penalty because there is concern about a full repeal of the prohibition. We discussed this with our patron Delegate Wilt. All three of us are in agreement that we should press on with full repeal due to the fact that all of the safety concerns mentioned are hypotheticals that have been proven to be without merit in the 48 states that allow motorcyclists to ride side by side. We have also pointed out that the vast majority of motorcyclists only ride two abreast when they need to communicate with a fellow rider (I need gas, your saddle bag is open, get off on the next exit)

That being said, there are 22 members on the Committee. Jim and I have secured promises of support from 11. Your emails have been extremely helpful. Several of the legislative aides have stressed the importance of having as many motorcyclists at the committee meeting as possible. I am therefore asking that anyone who can take the time to come to committee do so. I am also asking that you dress so as to be immediately recognizable as a motorcyclist. I will be in a tie in case I have to speak although debate has already been had in sub-committee. However we want everyone else to be in motorcycle attire. The bill is scheduled to be heard Tuesday afternoon. That is January the 24th. The committee meets one half hour after session ends so I would plan on 1:00 p.m. The General Assembly building is located at 9^th and Broad Street in Richmond. There are parking garages at 6^thSt. between Grace and Franklin as well as at 8^th and Clay St. The House committee rooms are on the first floor to the right after you pass through the metal detectors.

This is an opportunity to show our legislators that we are an active and engaged part of the electorate. This is a tough committee for us but if we get out we are very comfortable with our chances in the full House. If you are able to make it please contact me so that I have an idea as to how many we can expect.

As for HB 187 (Motorcycle Only Checkpoints), it is scheduled to be heard in sub-committee on Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. So far we have received nothing but support for that bill.

For those who are new to the list I apologize for the frequency of emails.This happens every year during session due to the frantic nature of the process of marshaling a bill through the General Assembly.That being said, the efforts of every Virginia motorcyclist helps and without everyone reading this we would be much less effective.I promise that once session ends we will go back to our regularly scheduled program.

Thank you again and I hope to see you on January 24^th at 1:00 p.m.

Matt Danielson

McGrath & Danielson

Tom McGrath's Motorcycle Law Group

1-800-321-8968

Motorcyclelawgroup.com

2012-01-18T19:18:00.003-05:00

House Bill 97 (MotorcyclesTwo Abreast) passed out of sub-committee on a 5-2 vote. House Bill 187(Motorcycle Only Checkpoints) was passed by for the day as the patron, DelegateTodd Gilbert, had to be in another committee. The votes for and against HB 97are listed below:

Those who voted infavor of the bill:

John A. Cox - DelJCox@house.virginia.gov

Barbara Comstock - DelBComstock@house.virginia.gov

Richard L. “Rich” Anderson - DelRAnderson@house.virginia.gov
Randall J. Minchew - DelRMinchew@house.virginia.gov

Betsy Carr - Delegate.Carr@betsycarr.org

Those who voted against the bill:

Jeion Antonia Ward- DelJWard@house.virginia.gov

· Delegate T. Scott Garrett - DelSGarrett@house.virginia.gov

As an aside, DelegateComstock strongly supported the bill and spoke numerous times in favor of it. She was the Delegate to make the motion to report the bill to the fullcommittee. Please feel free to send her an email thanking her for her support. For that matter feel free to email them all. I also want to give a specialthanks to a few brave souls who got up at the crack of dawn to join Tom, Jimand I at the 7:00 a.m. sub-committee hearing. Both Ray Hinkle and Gary Traylordrove in from Nottoway . These are the tworiders who were charged in Crewe with recklessdriving because they pulled up next to each other at a stop light. Theirpresence had a huge impact on the sub-committee members. We were also joinedby Archie Scarborough and Bill Via. Bill did a great job adding his owncomments to the debate this morning.

This means that thebill moves on to the full committee. The bill is not on tomorrow’sdocket at this time so it should be heard Tuesday afternoon one half hour aftersession adjourns. Jim and I will be there all day tomorrow trying to speakwith the members of the full committee that were not in sub. This means weneed to get those emails going again. I cannot stress how important it is tocontact the committee members in support of this bill. All of our supportersstressed how impressed they were by the numerous emails that they hadreceived. I have listed the members of the full House Transportation Committeeas well as their email addresses below. As soon as we have a firm date forwhen the bill will be heard in committee I will let you know. I will also letyou know when HB 187 will be heard but I am confident that it will be nextWednesday at 7:00 a.m. in House Transportation Sub-Committee 2.

Matt Danielson

Delegate May (Chairman) – DelJMay@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Cosgrove – DelJCosgrove@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Rust – DelTRust@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Hugo – DelTHugo@house.virginia.gov

Delegate E.T. Scott – DelEScott@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Tata – DelBTata@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Villanueva – DelRVillanueva@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Comstock - DelBComstock@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Garrett - DelSGarrett@house.virginia.gov

Delegate J. A. Cox - DelJCox@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Habeeb – DelGHabeeb@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Anderson - DelRAnderson@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Minchew - DelRMinchew@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Yancey – DelDYancey@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Dudenhefer - DelMDudenhefer@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Ward – DelJWard@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Bacote – DelMBaCote@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Brink – DelRBrink@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Toscano – DelDToscano@house.virginia.gov

Delegate McQuinn - DelDMcQuinn@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Carr – Delegate.Carr@betsycarr.org

Delegate Filler-Corn - DelEFiller-Corn@house.virginia.gov

PS – Here isa link to a story published by the Virginian Pilot on HB 97 should you wish toread it or add your comments. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/01/va-house-bill-would-let-motorcyclists-ride-side-side

HB 97 and HB 187 update 1-17-12

2012-01-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

Jim Cannon and I spent the morning re-visiting the members of the House Transportation Sub-Committee that will vote on both HB 97 (Motorcycles Two Abreast) and HB 187 (Motorcycle Only Checkpoints) tomorrow morning. I want to thank all who came to the Capitol yesterday to lobby on behalf of these two bills. I also want to thank all who have sent emails to the sub-committee members. Every delegate to whom we spoke today was already well versed on the issues and spoke highly of the people who had visited them. They also pointed out the numerous emails that they received in support of these two bills. Your efforts have not been in vain.

That being said we are on the eve of the sub-committee vote. If you have not yet had the opportunity to email the members of the sub-committee I have copied my last email below which contains the name and email address of every member of the House Transportation Sub-Committee which will hear these bills tomorrow morning. We will be there at 7:00 a.m. and will hopefully have good news to pass on tomorrow.

Thank you to all who have helped in the effort to make these two bills law.

Matt Danielson

McGrath & Danielson

Tom McGrath's Motorcycle Law Group

1-800-321-8968

Motorcyclelawgroup.com

Bill HB 97 and HB 187 to Sub-Committee Jan 18th

2012-01-14T12:44:00.000-05:00

1-14-12

Both HB 97, our bill to remove the prohibition against two motorcycles traveling abreast in the same lane, and HB 187, our bill to prohibit motorcycle only checkpoints in Virginia, will be heard in Transportation Sub-Committee # 2 on Wednesday, January 18 at 7:00 a.m. at the General Assembly Building in the 7^th Floor West Conference room.

Jim Cannon and I will be there to speak on these bills. However, I would encourage all interested motorcyclists to contact the members of the sub-committee in order to voice your support for these two important pieces of legislation. The name, room number and email addresses of each of the sub-committee members are as follows:

John A. Cox

(Chairman of Sub-Committee #2)

Room No.: 403

DelJCox@house.virginia.gov

Barbara Comstock

Room No.: 407

DelBComstock@house.virginia.gov

Richard L. “Rich” Anderson

Room No.: 406

DelRAnderson@house.virginia.gov

Randall J. Minchew

Room No.: 505

DelRMinchew@house.virginia.gov

Mark L Dudenhefer

Room No.: 408

DelMDudenhefer@house.virginia.gov

Jeion Antonia Ward

Room No.: 209

DelJWard@house.virginia.gov

Betsy Carr

Room No.: 414

Delegate.Carr@betsycarr.org

I have also attached a list of every member of the full House Transportation Committee.

With regard to HB 97, it is considered reckless driving for two motorcyclists to ride next to each other in Virginia. In 48 other states it is completely legal. Despite the fact that there is no data to show that two motorcyclists riding abreast are more likely to be in an accident, and further given the fact that Virginia recently passed legislation to allow on-duty law enforcement officers to do so, it still remains a jail-able offense for the general motorcycling community in Virginia. Currently two gentlemen with perfect records and a CDL license face a reckless driving conviction because they left a red light together and separated shortly thereafter.

With regard to HB 187, there is simply no justification for singling out motorcyclists to be stopped at checkpoints. It is discriminatory and serves no purpose. During this past years Rolling Thunder, the Arlington County Police Department set up a motorcycle only checkpoint. They stopped 523 motorcycles and managed to write 11 citations. If passed, HB 187 will put an end to the discriminatory practice of targeting motorcyclists with checkpoints which have to date yielded very little for those that have conducted them and had no impact on highway safety.

Motorcycle Checkpoints Bill has Number

2012-01-14T12:25:00.002-05:00

1-9-12

Our bill to prohibit motorcycle only checkpoints in Virginia now has a number. It is House Bill 187 (HB 187). This Bill is being carried by Delegate Todd Gilbert (DelTGilbert@house.virginia.gov). You can follow the history of this bill throughout the session and read the text of it at the following link:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sum+HB187

When the bill is assigned to committee I will forward the contact information for all members of the committee so that anyone who wishes to contact the committee members may.

HB 97, our bill to remove Virginia’s prohibition against two motorcycles being ridden side by side has been referred to the House Transportation Committee. The membership on that committee has not yet been established. The members currently listed on the General Assembly website are last years. As soon as the current committee membership is made available I will post it. You can follow the history of HB 97 throughout the session and read the text of it at the following link:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sum+HB97

As we receive additional information on any legislation affecting motorcyclists we will immediately pass it along. I hope to see you at Lobby Day weekend.

Delegate agrees to patron of our bill

2012-01-14T12:13:00.002-05:00

12-28-2011;

As mentioned in an earlier post, Delegate Todd Gilbert has agreed to be the patron for our bill that will prohibit motorcycle only checkpoints in the Commonwealth of Virginia . It was unanimously agreed upon at this year's legislative round table that this bill was our number one priority this session. If passed it will put to an end the discriminatory practice of targeting motorcyclists with checkpoints such as the one conducted in Arlington this year during Rolling Thunder. For those who are unfamiliar with that checkpoint I have attached the article which was written about it earlier this year. If you would like to thank Delegate Gilbert for carrying this bill for us he can be reached at DelTGilbert@house.virginia.gov

Our bill to remove the prohibition against two motorcycles traveling abreast in the same lane now has a number. It is House Bill 97 (HB 97). You can follow the history of this bill throughout the session and read the text of it at the following link:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sum+HB97

When the bill is assigned to committee I will forward the contact information for all members of the committee so that anyone who wishes to contact the committee members may.

There is no number assigned yet for our bill to prohibit motorcycle only checkpoints in Virginia . I will forward that information as soon as we receive it.

From Tom Danielson on Motorcyclist riding two abrest

2012-01-14T12:08:00.001-05:00

12-19-2011;
Last week Tom McGrath defended two motorcyclists who were charged with riding two abreast. For those who were not on the distribution list when this story first ran, it is considered reckless driving in Virginia for two motorcycles to ride next to each other in the same lane. In 48 of the 50 states it is perfectly legal. Only Vermont and Virginia make it illegal and only Virginia makes it punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine and a loss of your operator’s license. In this case the two riders, one of whom has a commercial driver’s license, pulled up next to each other at a stop light in Crewe , Virginia . When the light turned green they started off together and then separated shortly thereafter. Because of the short distance traveled side-by-side, the judge felt that he had no choice but to find the evidence sufficient to convict both of reckless driving. However, upon being informed that this year there will be a bill before the General Assembly to repeal this prohibition, the judge agreed to continue the disposition until after the General Assembly session. Hopefully we will be successful.

Two weeks ago Jim Cannon and I drove up to Harrisonburg to meet with Delegate Tony Wilt about this issue. He is the Delegate for the Harrisonburg area and is a rider himself. I am happy to report that Delegate Wilt has graciously and enthusiastically agreed to carry a bill to amend the Code of Virginia to allow two motorcycles to travel abreast in the same lane. Being that there is absolutely no data from the 48 states which allow this practice to show that it is causing accidents, it does not seem appropriate to hang a reckless driving conviction around a law abiding citizen’s neck for an act that is not reckless. If you would like to thank Delegate Wilt for carrying this legislation for us he can be reached at DelTWilt@house.virginia.gov