Some of you who are making arrangements to attend tomorrow’s House Transportation Committee meeting have been trying to verify that hb97 is on the docket because the General Assembly website is not showing it.  I just got off the phone with Delegate May’s office.  He is the House Transportation Committee Chairman.  His office has verified that HB97 will be heard tomorrow in full committee which will meet one half hour after session.  Session starts at noon so I would think that 1:00 p.m. should be safe.  Keep in mind that this is an approximation because we do not know how long session will last.  The General Assembly building is located at 9^th and Broad Street in Richmond .  There are parking garages at 6^th  St. 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.    

 

Matt Danielson

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^th  St. 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

House Bill 97 (Motorcycles Two 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, Delegate Todd Gilbert, had to be in another committee.  The votes for and against HB 97 are listed below:

            Those who voted in favor 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, Delegate Comstock 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 full committee.  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 special thanks to a few brave souls who got up at the crack of dawn to join Tom, Jim and I at the 7:00 a.m. sub-committee hearing.  Both Ray Hinkle and Gary Traylor drove in from Nottoway .  These are the two riders who were charged in Crewe with reckless driving because they pulled up next to each other at a stop light.  Their presence had a huge impact on the sub-committee members.  We were also joined by Archie Scarborough and Bill Via.  Bill did a great job adding his own comments to the debate this morning. 

This means that the bill moves on to the full committee.  The bill is not on tomorrow’s docket at this time so it should be heard Tuesday afternoon one half hour after session adjourns.  Jim and I will be there all day tomorrow trying to speak with the members of the full committee that were not in sub.  This means we need to get those emails going again.  I cannot stress how important it is to contact the committee members in support of this bill. All of our supporters stressed how impressed they were by the numerous emails that they had received.  I have listed the members of the full House Transportation Committee as well as their email addresses below.  As soon as we have a firm date for when the bill will be heard in committee I will let you know.  I will also let you know when HB 187 will be heard but I am confident that it will be next Wednesday 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 is a link to a story published by the Virginian Pilot on HB 97 should you wish to read 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

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

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

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

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.