regulations

U.S. House Committee Passes Bill to Stop California’s ICE Vehicle Ban

U.S. House Committee Passes Bill to Stop California’s ICE Vehicle Ban Encourage support from lawmakers on this proposal: The U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee passed the SAN-supported Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act” (H.R. 1435). This bill seeks to preserve vehicle choice for consumers and prevent the federal government and the State of California from choosing only one form of technology (such as electric vehicles) over the many others to achieve their emission reduction goals. The “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act” prohibits the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing a waiver to California for regulations that would ban the sale or use of new motor vehicles with ICE in the state by 2035. The bill is essential to stopping California’s plan to ban of new ICE vehicles. Send a letter to your Congress members asking them to support the bill. H.R. 1435 awaits consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives. Lawmakers Must Hear from You Right Away! Use the following website link for an overview and lawmaker contact. ACT NOW BY CLICKING HERE * * * * * * * * * * * * Stay Free and Subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter from Bikernet.com — click & get one, its Free.

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ABATE call to action

The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) just released their proposed changes to On-Road emissions standards and test procedures. These regulations and standards amendments are aimed at motorcycles and motorcycle engines manufactured on or after January 1, 1978 through 2025. This points to a desire to force the adoption of electric motorcycles beginning in 2026 which is seven years ahead of the EPA’s new emission standards for motor vehicles model-years 2027 to 2032. Below are highlights and commentary on these proposed changes… The US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new federal emissions standards for motor vehicles model-years ’27 to ’32, intended to dramatically increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in the coming years. While these rules are not yet finalized and subject to approval, the agency’s target is clear: two-thirds of new passenger vehicles sold in the United States should be EVs by 2032. California is already pursuing stricter greenhouse gas standards with a goal that 70% of new vehicles sold in the state will be zero-emissions vehicles by 2030. The Golden State is also seeking to completely ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. This is significant, as 17 other states have followed all or part of California’s previous clean-car rules. It has also eliminated an exemption provided to low-volume car manufacturers (those that produce fewer than 5,000 vehicles a year). – The proposal, as drafted, is essentially the knock-out punch to the internal combustion engine (ICE) technologies the specialty automotive aftermarket has built its industry around. – The Biden Administration estimates this proposal will result in two out of three new vehicles sold in the United States being electric by 2032. The proposal is not technology neutral, as the EPA and White House suggest. – Ultimately, if these regulations are implemented, it will likely lead to

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MRF Annual Meeting: Our Rights We Will Maintain

MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION — MEETING OF THE MINDS 2022 “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” – Iowa State Motto In 1847, those words became part of the Iowa State Seal. They ring just as powerful today as they did 175 years ago. Certainly, they ring true for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and the 38th Annual Meeting of the Minds. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation takes seriously the quest to protect the freedoms that motorcyclists sometimes take for granted. A lobbying team with a never-ending presence on Capitol Hill. A definitive commitment to grassroots activism with the MRF’s annual Bikers Inside the Beltway. And the annual Meeting of the Minds – nearly forty years of bringing bikers’ rights advocates together to enhance their organizational and legislative skills. The 38th Annual Meeting of the Minds, scheduled for September 22-25 in Des Moines Iowa, will be a 3-day exercise in freedom enhancement. The event will demonstrate just how much the MRF and attendees prize liberty and the commitment to maintain our rights Meet the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and the freedom fighters who are instrumental in the quest to protect motorcycling and maintain the freedoms we enjoy. The Meeting of the Minds – renewing old friendships and making new ones. The Meeting of the Minds – three days of nuts-and-bolts workshops to augment the tools needed to promote and protect the rights of all motorcyclists. The Meeting of the Minds – more than a dozen presentations and workshops to build and strengthen individual’s and state motorcyclists’ rights organization’s commitment to protecting the freedoms motorcycling represents. Workshops and presentations include but not limited to: Up-to-the-minute Legislative Updates Working with motorcycle clubs for the common goal of defending freedom Aging demographics – what it means to motorcycling Paying the price of freedom The

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NCOM Biker Newsbytes for August 2022

Industry & Legislative Motorcycle News from USA and the world Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish In the News this Month: Motorcyclist killed by self-driving car — “the driver of the Tesla said he had the ‘auto-pilot’ setting on…he told police he didn’t see the motorcyclist.” UN set to allow increased speed for autonomous vehicles Honda developing lane assistance system for the “bikes of the future” UK wants to ban the sale of new fossil fueled motorcycles Jury acquits trucker charged with seven-count motorcycle homicide (Yes! Its that New Hampshire trucker!!!) Petition calls for proper punishment for Bike thieves Sturgis traffic down, but still higher than average Bonneville motorcycle speed trials cancelled due to flooding Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) calls it quits SAVE THE DATE 2023 NCOM Conevention in Phoenix Click here to read important motorcycle related NCOM news for August 2022 on Bikernet.com THE AIM / NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “But where, says some, is the king of America? I’ll tell you. . . . let a crown be placed . . . , by which the world may know, . . . that in America the law is king. For in absolute governments the king is the law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other . . . ” ~ Thomas Paine (1776), Patriot * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Want only motorcycle news and

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ABATE of Michigan Annual Seminar

This weekend, ABATE of Michigan hosted its annual seminar in Saginaw, Michigan. In attendance were two longtime legislative champions for motorcyclist rights. Current Congressman, Tim Walberg and former Congressman Jim Barcia, joined the event. Congressman Walberg is the Co-Chair of the House Motorcycle Caucus and a leading advocate for motorcyclist rights in Congress. Representative Walberg has championed a number of issues bikers care about, including work against the profiling of bikers and the need to ensure autonomous vehicles can recognize and react to motorcyclists. Former Congressman Jim Barcia of Michigan fought against federal helmet blackmail efforts in the 1990’s. Along with Congressman Petri of Wisconsin and others, Representative Barcia defeated federal regulations that established a penalty, whereby a certain percentage of a state’s highway funds were shifted to safety programs if the state did not have a universal helmet law. This regulation effectively blackmailed states into enacting helmet laws by holding federal funds hostage. Working hand in hand with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation lobbyist at the time, Wayne Curtain, Congress changed the law and freed states to make helmet law determinations without federal government interference. It’s great to see past and current leaders in the motorcyclists rights movement taking the time to attend seminars like this. Thank you to ABATE of Michigan for building and maintaining these relationships which benefit all bikers across our nation. About Motorcycle Riders Foundation The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit Website: https://mrf.org

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Clay’s Christmas – Blessings Come in Strange Packages

New Episode 97 in Bandit’s Cantina – The Series by K.Randall Ball with illustrations by Jon Towle and George Fleming The Cantina bustled and Bandit kept the holiday tunes blasting while he stared at his budget sheet. It didn’t look good. The positive cash flow from the Sturgis Rally dwindled. He knew his time in Los Angeles waned and 2022 would be a turning point. He put on a smiling Xmas face and walked down the stairs to the dining room. Most huddled together over their presents. Brothers discussed bike modifications and upcoming projects. Marko came out from behind bar and nudged Bandit. “Looking good?” Marko said and then steered Bandit’s gaze to Clay, his thinning head of sandy-blonde hair resting against the polish bar top. Clay was a too-regular. He started drinking early and didn’t stop. His poison Corona beers held him in place between piss and smoke breaks. A friendly, helpful sort he wanted to assist folks and started to rebuild outboard motors and handled dinghy repairs. Never said a bad thing about anyone. CLICK HERE To Read the Follow-up to the 2021 XMas Story Join the Cantina for more – including all of Bandit’s novels and Exclusive Features If you sign up for a two-year Cantina Membership, you will receive a signed book and lotsa swag from the crew. Click Here to Subscribe Today !!!

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Energy Poverty Kills

From Center for Industrial Progress by Alex Epstein Last week we looked at the need for a process of producing energy that is cheap, plentiful, and reliable—and we saw that solar and wind cannot produce cheap, reliable energy. How Germany embraced solar and wind and ended up in energy poverty Let’s take a look at this in practice. Germany is considered by some to be the best success story in the world of effective solar and wind use, and you’ll often hear that they get a large percentage of their energy from solar and wind. You can see here on this chart how this claim was made and why it’s not accurate. First of all, this is just a chart of electricity. Solar and wind are only producing electricity and half of Germany’s energy needs also include fuel and heating. So solar and wind never contribute half as much to Germany’s energy needs as this chart would imply. But that’s not the biggest problem. What you notice here is that there’s certain days and times where there are large spikes, but there are also periods where there’s relatively little. What that means is that you can’t rely on solar and wind ever. You always have to have an infrastructure that can produce all of your electricity independent of the solar and wind because you can always go a long period with very little solar and wind. So then why are the solar and wind necessary? Well, you could argue that they’re not and that adding them onto the grid will impose a lot of costs. In Germany, electricity prices have more than doubled since 2000 when solar and wind started receiving massive subsidies and favorable regulations, and their electricity prices are three to four times what we would pay in

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Proposed new regulations for Autocycles in Massachusetts

Proposed new regulations for 3-wheel autocycles from https://www.bostonherald.com by Boston Herald Wire Services Proposed regulations of autocycles will be on the schedule when Massachusetts lawmakers hold a virtual public hearing Tuesday. An autocycle is a three-wheeled motor vehicle that meets federal safety standards for a motorcycle. Unlike motorcycles, however, autocycles typically include a steering wheel, a seat for the driver and occasionally seats for passengers. The driver and passengers are not required to straddle the vehicle like a motorcycle. One of the bills under consideration would create new safety measures for autocycles including requiring the driver and passengers to wear helmets, requiring autocycle manufacturers to equip the vehicles with safety belts which must be worn by drivers and passengers, and barring children under eight from riding in one. Anyone who operates an autocycle without wearing a safety helmet or safety belts would face a fine of no less than $25 under the bill. Massachusetts Lawmakers Weigh New Regulations for Autocycles from https://www.nbcboston.com by The Associated Press An autocycle is a motor vehicle with three wheels on the ground that meets federal motor vehicle safety standards for a motorcycle Proposed regulations of autocycles will be on the schedule when Massachusetts state lawmakers hold a virtual public hearing Tuesday. An autocycle is a motor vehicle with three wheels on the ground that meets federal motor vehicle safety standards for a motorcycle. Unlike motorcycles, however, autocycles typically include a steering wheel, a seat for the driver and occasionally seats for passenger. One of the bills under consideration would create new safety measures for autocycles. Those include requiring the driver and passengers wear helmets, requiring autocycle manufacturers to equip the vehicles with safety belts and barring children under eight from riding in an autocycle.

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Why motorcycle lane-splitting is Legal in California but Not in 49 other states

Why California lets motorcycles legally split lanes while 49 other states do not from https://ktla.com by Tony Kurzweil If you’ve ever been startled out of the doldrums of your afternoon commute by a thundering, lane splitting Harley Davidson and cursed whoever is responsible, you’re not alone. But before you blast the California Highway Patrol with emails listing all the reasons why that congestion-cutting biker should be given a ticket and told to stay in his lane, there are some things you should know. First, not only is lane sharing or lane splitting legal in California but the CHP wrote the safety guidelines as instructed in AB51, which was approved by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2016. In fact, although lane sharing occurs in other states, California is the only place where the practice has been made legal. But why? Well, one reason is that lane sharing has been going on in California ever since motorcycles have been on the freeway, so it was important to set some ground rules, CHP Motorcycle Officer Brian O’Toole said. The second, and maybe more interesting reason, is that it makes time spent on the freeway shorter, not only for motorcyclists but for us four-wheel motorists as well. “As motorcycles are moving through, splitting the lanes … that’s one less vehicle occupying that lane,” CHP Motorcycle Officer Brian O’Toole said. “It’s saving the average motorist in a car time … If we were to all of a sudden not allow lane splitting anymore, that’s a motorcycle sitting in the lane ahead of them,” O’Toole said. But just because the motorcyclist has the CHP on their side when it comes to lane sharing, it doesn’t mean they can recklessly speed past you. “It’s still a privilege … We’re the only state left, so it’s a privilege for

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MRF update: Highway Bill Passes – a Year Late

November 5, 2021 Highway Bill Passes… a Year Late After a 13-month delay and enactment of three separate extensions, Congress finally passed a surface transportation reauthorization bill. This bill, sometimes called the highway bill or the infrastructure bill, has been a hotly debated topic in D.C. for several years. Once signed by the President, the bill will reauthorize many highway programs, provide funding for road and bridge construction and replace the previous highway bill passed in 2015, known as the FAST Act. Just a week ago, Congress gave itself a third extension running into December. Yet election victories by Republican candidates, especially a win by the GOP in the Virginia governor’s race, seems to have spooked Democrats, and motivated passage of a bill that has been awaiting a vote since the summer. For the last two years, the House of Representatives and Senate have battled over transportation priorities and funding levels. In both 2020 and 2021, the House of Representatives passed versions of their highway bill, only to be rebuffed by the Senate. Under pressure from President Biden, the Senate finally acted, passing in August a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. This action by the Senate, effectively forced the House to accept the Senate version of the bill or continue to pass short term extensions of current law. However, pressure from the left wing of the Democratic party delayed a vote on the Senate’s infrastructure bill until an unconnected piece of legislation, referred to as the “human infrastructure bill,” was agreed to. That bill, called “Build Back Better,” had an original price tag of $3.5 trillion and effectively held the infrastructure bill hostage. After months of debate, and Tuesday’s election results, House Democrats agreed to vote on a smaller Build Back Better bill later in the month, opening the door to

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