YOUR ACTION URGENTLY NEEDED
Please Share with your Friends, Colleagues, and Family who Ride and care to protect our rights!
The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) would appreciate our membership to Rally in opposition to 2 New Hampshire Bills which are clearly against the rights of Motorcyclists.
As previously shared with the MMA Membership, our friends from the New Hampshire Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization (http://nhmro.org/) alerted us that 2 bills have been filed that they intend to fight:
· HB 1162 would make it Mandatory to wear Motorcycle Helmets
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2010/HB1162.html
· HB 1261 would require an EPA Sticker\Stamp on your motorcycle exhaust
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2010/HB1261.html
For additional information, here’s a link to a Nashua NH Telegraph Newspaper Article, published January 25, 2010: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/560654-196/house-takes-up-helmet-mandate-loud-pipe.html
Representative Judith Day, the same representative who last year tried to assure that Motorcycles were required to have Tachometers and could not have after-market exhaust of any type (http://mma.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=769540&item_id=8454), has filed these bills in clear opposition to Motorcycles as a class of travel and ultimately people with rights.
As previously discussed in the MMA Legislative Agenda and in issues found in Massachusetts during this past calendar year, there are clear issues with both these bills.
HB 1261 seems to be an attempt to ride the coat tails of the misguided ordinance filed in the City of Boston this past year. What’s missing from the bill are the facts that the Boston Ordinance has been challenged in a court of law, is largely unenforceable, and remains un-exercised (and still litigated against) in the half year since that ordinance was enacted without input from the Motorcycle Community and/or Industry.
As discussed on the MMA Website (http://www.massmotorcycle.org/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=769540&item_id=9821), the EPA guideline is targeted at Motorcycle Manufacturers, NOT Consumers, akin to the tag on a pillow or mattress. Also, the EPA compliance requirement for a manufacturer expires after an “acoustical adjustment period” of one year or 3,370 miles, whichever comes first. Further, the EPA stamp is not visible on all Motorcycles – some are covered by ornamentation, some such as those on some sport bike models, are covered by the seat or fenders.
With regard to HB 1162, the bill changes a long-standing law established by the efforts of NHMRO giving riders the freedom of choice in the State of New Hampshire. With the largest motorcycle ridership per capita in the country, New Hampshire has been touted as the “Live Free or Die” state and apparently this bill seems bent on excluding Motorcyclists from those freedoms.
While some motorcyclists believe in the benefit of Helmets, Motorcyclists have a CHOICE whether to wear one in New Hampshire with protection ratings of their own preference. The bill makes no statement concerning what the value of a helmet brings, instead the bill calls for the Director of the NH Division of Motor Vehicles to maintain a list of what helmets would be allowed in New Hampshire which would raise the burden on that office to increase taxes to fund an increase in research relative to Helmets. The removal of those freedoms would also send riders to other states in New England where choice is still permitted, likely removing a significant revenue stream from the New Hampshire economy.
How can YOU help?
MMA Members attended a special meeting on Sunday, January 10th at the Deerhead Sportsmen’s Club in Hooksett, NH to discuss these Bills and lend a hand of support to NHMRO.
Based on last year’s experience in Concord, the MMA gained a great deal of respect for the Legislative Process in New Hampshire, and we KNOW that we can help make a difference.
Public Hearings have been scheduled for Thursday, January 28th at 9:30AM, at the Representative’s Hall, Concord NH State House. Members of the MMA Board of Directors are planning to attend both these Hearings to support NHMRO. Any MMA member who also would like to preserve our rights and freedoms as motorcyclists who may ride in New Hampshire are also encouraged to attend.
If you cannot attend, the MMA asks that you write, email (~HouseTransportationCommittee@leg.state.nh.us), and/or call the representatives of the NH House Transportation Committee (contact information below) and let them know that you OPPOSE these bills as Motorcyclists with rights.
For more information, please contact LegislativeDirector@MassMotorcycle.org or go to the MMA’s Web Site: www.MassMotorcycle.org
New Hampshire House Transportation Committee
Robert Williams (D) [Chairman]
Home Address: 149 East Side Dr #183, Concord, NH 03301-5410
Phone: (603)225-9283
Email: robert.williams@leg.state.nh.us
Michael O'Brien (D) [Vice-Chairman]
Home Address: 4 Woodfield Street, Nashua, NH 03062-2056
Phone: (603)888-8051
Email: obnfd@comcast.net
C. Pennington Brown (D) [Clerk]
Home Address: 153 Old Hedding Road #40, Epping, NH 03042-2348
Phone: (603)679-1766
Email: penningtonbrown@comcast.net
Jennifer Brown (D)
Home Address: 9 Baldwin Way, Dover, NH 03820-4673
Phone: (603)743-0988
Email: jennifer.brown@leg.state.nh.us
Roland LaPlante (D)
Home Address: PO Box 18, Nashua, NH 03061-0018
Phone: (603)888-9064
Email: N/A
Timothy Soucy (D)
Home Address: 33 Gillis St, Nashua, NH 03060-6339
Phone: (603)889-3976
Email: timothy.soucy@leg.state.nh.us
George Katsakiores (R)
Home Address: 1 Bradford St, Derry, NH 03038-4258
Phone: (603)434-9587
Email: N/A
Jennifer Coffey (R)
Home Address: 748 Raccoon Hill Rd, Andover, NH 03216-4040
Phone: (603)748-1985
Email: jenn.coffey@leg.state.nh.us
Karen Umberger (R)
Home Address: PO Box 186, Kearsarge, NH 03847-0186
Phone: (603)356-6881
Email: karenu@ncia.net
Paul Ingersoll (D)
Home Address: 49 Gordon Avenue, Berlin, NH 03570-1006
Phone: (603)752-4754
Email: ingyp@earthlink.net
Brian Rhodes (D)
Home Address: 47 Wood St, Nashua, NH 03064-1929
Phone: (603)886-1025
Email: brian.rhodes@leg.state.nh.us
Richard Stuart (D)
Home Address: 131 Winter St, Laconia, NH 03246-3231
Phone: (603)524-4222
Email: stuart@leg.state.nh.us
John Flanders (R)
Home Address: 28 Danville Road, Kingston, NH 03848-3406
Phone: (603)642-3640
Email: jwflanders@comcast.net
John Hikel (R)
Home Address: 483 Mast Rd, Goffstown, NH 03045-5254
Phone: (603)860-7891
Email: john.hikel@leg.state.nh.us
Roger Hebert (D)
Home Address: 373 Lake Ave, Manchester, NH 03103-4898
Phone: (603)621-0170
Email: N/A
Theodoros Rokas (D)
Home Address: 393 Wilson St, Manchester, NH 03103-4913
Phone: (603)620-2228
Email: ted.rokas@leg.state.nh.us
Stephen Nedeau (R)
Home Address: PO Box 436, Meredith, NH 03253-0436
Phone: (603)279-4794
Email: N/A
John Veazey (R)
Home Address: 1325 Old N Main St, Laconia, NH 03246-2667
Phone: (603)524-2459
Email: N/A
Richard Hinch (R)
Home Address: 14 Ichabod Dr, Merrimack, NH 03054-6226
Phone: (603)424-9690
Email: dick.hinch@leg.state.nh.us