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Political Agendas on Electrical Vehicles Charge Up Emotions

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by Colby Martin from SEMA Action Network (SAN) at https://www.semasan.com GROUNDING THE “EV” BUZZ Political Agendas Surrounding Automobiles Charge Up Strong Emotions The impending arrival of electric cars and trucks has caused quite a stir. Sure, everyone shares the well-intentioned notion of a healthier environment. But constant announcements about the potential phasing out of new gas-powered vehicles have enthusiasts worried about the future of the hobby. Thanks in part to a 24-hour news-cycle, the automotive-minded are forced to ponder this great unknown with greater frequency. With the topic weighing heavier on many minds, the question arises: what’s to become of the tailpipe—and when? Clearly there are crossed wires needing to be untangled. Acronym Soup First, we must understand the common lingo used in automotive discussions. The gasoline-sipping internal combustion engine (ICE) has long been the motivator of choice. However, the low- and zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) categories have emerged and made significant improvements in recent years. There are several different models of these cars and trucks such as electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrids, and those running on hydrogen fuel-cells. With such competition, it may seem like traditional rides could have a tougher existence in a yet-uncertain future of alternative powerplants. Government Directives The latest update in the automotive world came from the nation’s top office: the Biden Administration. President Joe Biden signed the “Executive Order on Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks” in August. In short, the measure calls for 50% of all sales of new cars and light trucks in the US be ZEV by the year 2030. “It is the policy of my Administration to advance these objectives in order to improve our economy and public health, boost energy security, secure consumer savings, advance environmental justice, and address the climate crisis,” said President Biden. Biden’s action was […]

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Fossil Fuel Bikernet Weekly News for October 14th, 2021

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It’s All Good and Packed with Info We are living in the absolute best of times. Let’s ride free forever. Never a dull moment, but it’s all a positive adventure. Even fixing stupid shit, is a positive endeavor and keeping me from thinking about building another motorcycle. There’s always something going on in Deadwood. If it has to do with whiskey, I’m in. Let’s hit it. –Bandit Click Here to Read the Weekly News only on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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BANNED : Chainsaws, Golf Carts, Lawn Mowers & More

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from https://mrf.org/ Chainsaws, Golf Carts, Lawn Mowers… What’s Next? Over the weekend, California Governor Gavin Newson signed a bill into law banning the sale of all off-road, gas-powered engines, including generators, lawn equipment, pressure washers, chainsaws, weed trimmers, and even golf carts. Under the new law, these machines must be zero-emissions, meaning they will have to be either battery-powered or plug-in. This law is particularly concerning because of the status California holds within the national economy. The population and market size that California commands often forces manufacturers to react by changing products nationwide, to conform to California standards. Additionally, states with like-minded legislatures often follow with similar laws and regulations of their own. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is concerned that this action by California, will begin a cascading effect that will eventually result in the demise of the internal combustion engine and the fuel supply tied to it. During the legislative agenda setting meeting, held at the 2021 Meeting of the Minds, in Atlanta, Georgia this very issue was debated. Working with our state partners, the MRF is currently evaluating how best to address these concerns. The final 2022 MRF Legislative Agenda will be made public in an upcoming American Biker Journal. To read more on the bill click here. 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 the Website https://mrf.org/

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Makin’ Progress Bikernet Weekly News for September 16th, 2021

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Hey, This is a wild day fulla project progress. I can’t believe everything that’s going on and how brothers and sisters are not giving up or staying home. There’s action everywhere no matter what. Hell, most aftermarket companies like S&S and Paughco are having banner years. –Bandit Click Here to Read the Weekly News on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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NCOM Biker Newsbytes for August 2021

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Legislative Motorcycle News from Around the World The Highway Bill passes but…, Feds investigate auto-pilot car accidents, anti-profiling in California, lane-filtering, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally turnout, bad-driving and road-rage post-lockdown, fuel prices at a high, International Motorcycle Show, news you should use. Click Here to Read the NCOM News on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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House Passes Highway Bill – Biker Priorities Included

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Thursday morning the full House of Representatives passed H.R. 3684 the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act or the INVEST in America Act. This bill is more commonly referred to as the highway bill. The bill is over 1,500 pages, spends $715 billion and includes five beneficial provisions for motorcyclists. The final vote on passage was 221 for and 201 against. Two Republicans voted in favor and no Democrats opposed. The Senate has begun work on their version of the highway bill and the two chambers will eventually need to work out the differences before an agreed upon bill is sent to the President for his signature. Traditionally, a highway bill has a five-year lifespan before Congress must fund and reauthorize programs again. Typically, highway bills occur in years ending in 0’s and 5’s. The last highway bill expired in 2020 but was given a one-year extension as Congress was unable to reach a compromise. Congress now faces a September 30th deadline to pass a new highway bill and reauthorize crucial transportation and safety related programs. Below is a brief recap of the five motorcyclist related items that the House of Representatives approved and included in this major piece of legislation: Profiling: The bill includes an update to current federal law on the issue of motorcycle only check points. The bill passed today includes language that prohibits state and local governments from using funds from the Department of Transportation to “profile and stop motorcycle operators or motorcycle passengers using as a factor the clothing or mode of transportation of such operators or passengers.” Traffic Stop Data Collection: An amendment to the bill by Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-R) and Congressman Michael Burgess (TX-R) added the term “mode of transportation” to a newly created

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David Chipman Back in Senate Judiciary Committee This Thursday

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This Thursday, June 17th, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on David Chipman’s nomination for ATF Director. If approved, his nomination would then be sent to the full U.S. Senate for a final confirmation vote. During Chipman’s nomination hearing on May 26th, he admitted that he supports not only a ban on commonly owned firearms, but thinks we should have more restrictive gun control than the European Union! We are asking that you please contact your Senators and urge them to oppose David Chipman as ATF Director by clicking the red button below. CLICK TO CONTACT YOUR SENATORS As if Chipman’s history as a gun control advocate and his desire to ban the most commonly owned firearms in this country wasn’t bad enough, he also has a strong disregard for the facts surrounding “Assault Weapons”. Since the 1994 “Clinton Assault Weapons Ban”, there have been numerous government-run studies proving these bans to be ineffective, but these facts don’t seem to matter to Chipman, as he has repeatedly demonstrated. If you have already sent your Senators an email, please take some time to give them a call as well. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224- 3121 and they can connect you with your Senator’s office, or you can look up your Senator’s information on this chart. NRA-ILA Grassroots Programs & Campaign Field Operations http://www.nrailafrontlines.com/

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Oregon governor blocks motorcycle ‘lane splitting’ bill

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by Sara Cline from https://www.sfgate.com Earlier this month, Oregon lawmakers passed a bill that would allow motorcyclists to drive between slow or stopped traffic. However, despite bipartisan approval and hundreds of letters of written testimony — overwhelmingly in favor of the “lane splitting” legislation — Gov. Kate Brown this week vetoed the measure, citing public safety concerns. “I have several concerns with the bill as currently drafted, particularly related to public safety and noncompliance,” Brown said in a Wednesday letter to the state Senate president and House speaker, which was obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Senate Bill 574 would have permitted motorcyclists to drive between lanes, on multilane highways, when traffic slowed to 10 mph (16 kph) or less — also known as “lane splitting” or “lane filtering.” In this situation, motorcyclists riding between cars could travel no more than 10 mph faster than the flow of traffic. States like California and Utah have enacted similar laws. While this idea concerned some drivers, motorcyclists argued lane splitting actually improves safety. “Perhaps one of the more dangerous situations for any on-highway motorcyclist is being caught in congested traffic, where stop-and-go vehicles, distracted and inattentive vehicle operators and environmental conditions pose an increased risk of physical contact with another vehicle or hazard,” Nicholas Haris, a representative for the American Motorcyclist Association, said in written testimony. “Even minor contact under such conditions can be disastrous for motorcyclists.” According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, in 2018, the most recent data available, there were 78 deadly motorcycle crashes in the state. “I have witnessed — during rolling traffic slowdowns on the Southern California freeway — motorcyclists cautiously, slowly and effectively moving through traffic and eliminating themselves from the traffic backup,” Kate Stoller, an Oregon motorcyclist, said in written testimony. In Utah, legislation passed in

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Bikers inside the Beltway Meeting for May 2021

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BIKERS INSIDE THE BELTWAY 2021 FLEXIBLE & MOVING FORWARD The pandemic and the events of January 6 brought changes to meetings with members of Congress and large gatherings. The MRF has restructured Bikers inside the Beltway to comply with pandemic mandates and directives for assemblies. The 2021 Bikers inside the Beltway will take place in Washington, D.C., May 18. “It is our right to address Congress” said MRF President Kirk Willard. “While attendees will need to take a flexible approach to scheduling meetings with their members of Congress, Bikers Inside the Beltway will take place as scheduled.” New security restrictions necessitate that visitors to Congress establish appointments before arriving in D.C. The MRF will provide members with contact information to begin the process of setting your D.C. agenda. Flexibility with appointments and expectations is a must. Some congressional offices will welcome in person meetings within the Capitol Complex. Other offices may seek meetings outside the official government buildings. Still others may only do a meeting over the phone or via zoom. Bikers inside the Beltway will be dual-faceted to accommodate in-person visits to Congress plus visits to local offices. To ensure that the mission of getting our message to Congress does not fail, here are a few items to consider: Once infrastructure funding legislation is assigned a Senate and House number, that information will be shared. Make your appointments locally or in Washington. Familiarize yourself with the briefing points. Confirm your appointment locally or in Washington. Virtual or in person, make notes on your meeting. Share your meeting notes with the MRF. Although bill numbers have not been assigned to the infrastructure funding legislation, Congress has classified it as a high priority. Language that the MRF amended into the 2020 highway funding legislation has not changed. The MRF’s 2021 High

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Senate passes anti-‘motorcycle profiling’ bill on 25-9 vote

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by Betsy from https://www.idahopress.com Legislation pushed by Nampa Rep. Robert Anderst for the past three years to forbid “motorcycle profiling” by law enforcement – deciding to pull someone over or arrest or search them solely because they’re riding a motorcycle or wearing motorcycle gear – handily passed the Senate today, on a 25-9 vote. Last year, the bill died in the Senate on a 17-18 vote; and the year before that, after passing the House unanimously, it was killed on a 13-22 vote in the Senate. This year’s bill, SB 1292, started in the Senate. As they have for the past two years, motorcycling enthusiasts and members of motorcycle groups turned out in big numbers to testify in favor of the bill in committee, saying they’ve been profiled by law enforcement officers when they were abiding by all laws. This year’s bill, like last year’s, in addition to defining and forbidding motorcycle profiling, also states that it’s not creating any new basis for lawsuits.

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