An important email from Poet, received on June 9, 2008Due to the blatantly discriminatory Amendment (Amendment Number 4288) added to HB 1295 (modified helmet Bill) Abate of La., Inc. no longer supports this Bill in its current form. Representative M.J. “Mert” Smiley has stated that he will attempt to get this Amendment stripped from the Bill in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. If this attempt is unsuccessful he will defer this Bill for the remainder of the session which ends on June 23. Although Governor Jindal had promised us his help and support in this bid for the return of our Freedom of Choice in his campaign last year he has taken a lot of pressure over the firing of Colonel Champagne and has decided to stay out of this year’s fight. Because of this some members of the House have shown just how anti motorcyclist they are. One Amendment that was accepted was Amendment number 4288 by Representative Jean-Paul Morrell (Dist 97) which requires anyone who decides to ride helmet free to have an additional $100,000 of economic uninsured motorist coverage and obtain private HMO coverage. Amendments that were not accepted include Amendment number 4292 stating anyone killed in a crash while not wearing a helmet shall be deemed an automatic Organ donor and Amendment number 3754 by Representative Neil C. Abramson (Dist 98) taking away the right to sue for injury or death of an unhelmeted motorcyclist unless it can be proven that a helmet would have made no difference in the outcome. Forced “donorcyclist” is scary enough but with the minimal penalties that the motoring public already receives for violating our right of way are we to understand that because we choose to enjoy our way of life as we see fit our lives are absolutely worthless? Aside from the Governors decision to stay out of the fight one of the biggest concerns to come to light is the lack of response from the motorcycling community itself. This lack of support was not from the Louisiana motorcyclists themselves but also from the motorcyclists across the country after a nationwide call to action was issued. One of the major issues discussed during the House Floor debate was the impact on tourism dollars since it is one of Louisiana’s leading industries. In a poll of the Representatives it was found that there were, at most, thirty responses from motorcyclists across the country and little more from the motorcyclists in Louisiana itself. This is incomprehensible and leads to the question where all the freedom fighters are? What has happened to all the freedom loving members of the motorcycling community? In 2004 when the helmet law was reenacted by Governor Blanco members of this Organization were asked “Where was Abate?” and “Why did Abate let this happen?” Abate was then, now, and will forever be in the trenches fighting the good fight for Louisiana motorcyclists but we will always need the support and help of the members of the motorcycling community at large to win the fight. We are your voice and your primary source of information on issues affecting our way of life but without this support and help we will always be fighting a losing battle. While many members of this Organization spend days, months, and even years in addressing the issues that affect us all we ask of the motorcycling community is to spend ten or fifteen minutes when it is needed to contact their elected officials to voice their opinion. Is there anyone out there who is willing to spend so little to gain so much? This is exactly why I coined the phrase: One voice is a whisper, but a thousand voices are a ROAR! While the may be over for this year we have not given up yet. I strongly urge everyone who rides, everyone who plans to ride, everyone who used to ride, their family, and their friends to get actively involved in one last ditch effort to get this legislation stripped of Amendment 4288 in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and passed. The information on the Committee members can be found at this link: http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Health&Welfare/Assignments.asp. Due to the recent elections and the influx of new Senators and Representatives and a lack of knowledge concerning their positions on motorcyclist related issues this year’s session has given this Organization a lot of valuable information that can be used in formulating a strategy for next year’s session if we are unsuccessful this year. We will be formulating a strategy based on this information and in the meantime will be posting the names of the elected officials and their individual stance concerning motorcyclists rights. If we do have to take up this issue again next year when we make the call MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Ride Safe, Ride FREE James "Poet" Sisco State Executive President Abate Of La., Inc. | 
