FIGHTING FOR MOTORCYCLISTS RIGHTS
AMERICAN BIKERS ACTIVE TOWARD EDUCATION AT THE CAPITOL
By GLENN C. McGOVERN
Motorcycle TRIAL Attorney and MSF Basic Instructor
Do you know how many motorcycle organizations fights for motorcyclist’s rights
in Louisiana? (Hint: There is only one!) The American Bikers Active Toward Education
(A.B.A.T.E) is the only motorcycle group in the State of Louisiana that actively lobbies for
motorcyclist’s rights. A.B.A.T.E. also has volunteer instructors that educates new drivers
in a two-hour educational presentation given to new drivers in motorcycle awareness.
Most motorcyclists have never heard of A.B.A.T.E. It is a national organization with state
and Louisiana chapters. It is a non-profit organization that lobbies and educates. It is
not a riding club. It advocates and fights for motorcyclist’s rights.
Let me tell you the story of how I got involved with A.B.A.T.E. I was really upset with
a motorcycle case. The motorcyclist was hit by a 4-time convicted drunk driver with a
suspended driver’s license. The motorcyclists lost a leg above the knee when the drunk
car driver pulled out in front of him from a bar in Pearl River, La. The car driver literally
amputated the rider’s leg and only got a ticket for no seat belt. The car driver ran to court
the next day and paid a small fine. I contacted the District Attorney to insist negligent
injury and failure to yield charges be filed. The District Attorney told me because the
drunk driver pled guilty and paid a fine to the no seatbelt charge, there would be no
further criminal prosecution citing the double-jeopardy criminal defense. A person can
only be tried one time for the same criminal incident.
That case still bothers me. I filed suit and won a 2.4-million-dollar judgment against
the driver who died shortly thereafter. I knew I needed to join forces with a motorcycle
group who would fight for motorcyclist’s rights to get changes in the laws. I looked
for months until I met members of Greater New Orleans A.B.A.T.E. Chapter and joined.
Amazingly, there are over 200 motorcycle groups in Louisiana, but none of them do
lobbying for motorcyclist’s rights. Even the Confederation of Clubs does not do any
lobbying whatsoever. They all depend on Louisiana A.B.A.T.E to do the work of lobbying.
A.B.A.T.E. of Louisiana is very active in lobbying the Legislators in Louisiana. There
are about 1700 Louisiana A.B.A.T.E. members, many of whom are life members. The
state meeting is held every two months in Alexandria at the V.F.W. hall in Alexandria.
A.B.A.T.E. of Louisiana has a website at www.abateoflousiana.org. The group also has
Facebook page website at https://www.facebook.com/groups/262742297012/ or
ABATE of Louisiana Inc.
The group has a legislative committee which studies Louisiana law and proposes
legislation to its members at the state meeting each year. Then after proposed bills are
approved by the membership, the proposed bills are drafted. Then the group meets
with legislators to find sponsors for its proposed bills. Many times, other motorcycle
organizations ask for help from Louisiana A.B.A.T.E. for specific problems. Last year
there was a problem with profiling of motorcyclists and motorcycle roadblocks just
for motorcycles. Louisiana A.B.A.T.E. went to work and obtain new laws prohibiting
motorcycle road blocks and the unconstitutional profiling of motorcyclists. Louisiana
A.B.A.T.E. is still working on many areas this legislative session. This work is year-round
with meetings by the legislative committee composed of Cecil Crawford, Donnie Brown,
Glenn McGovern and “Trouble” Lori Splawn who meet with legislators year-round to
prepare for each legislative session months in advance.
Currently the legislative lobbying is in three areas: 1.) A Freedom of the Road Bill
to allow motorcyclists over 21 years of age who carry health insurance to ride any
motorcycle without a helmet, 2.) an All Road Users Act to protect motorcyclists from
drivers who fail to yield to motorcyclists with enhanced car driver penalties to deter
bad driver conduct and 3.) An anti-profiling motorcyclists bill to provide for additional
training for police officers to prevent unconstitutional profiling of motorcyclists and
stopping them without probable cause.
The work of the legislative committee never ends. Members testify at various
committee hearings during each legislative session. Every first day of a regular
legislative session, members show up in force with their distinctive lime green “Vote
Like a Biker” T shirts to lobby legislators and educate them on motorcycle legislative
and safety issues. The organization has been very successful. While there is the
A.M.A. (American Motorcycle Association) and M.R.F. (Motorcycle Riders Foundation)
national organizations, those groups do not lobby in Louisiana at all to help Louisiana
motorcyclists. Only Louisiana A.B.A.T.E fights for motorcyclists in Louisiana.
A.B.A.T.E. also has an Advocate that members report motorcycle crashes to. (Contact
Glenn C. McGovern, Head of Advocacy A.B.A.T.E. at [email protected] 1-800-721-3992).
The A.B.A.T.E. Advocate meets with local District Attorneys and Assistant District
Attorneys to secure justice in criminal cases for injured motorcyclists. The group also
offers $3500 disability benefits for its members for joining Louisiana A.B.A.T.E.
Louisiana A.B.A.T.E. needs more members to protect motorcyclist’s rights. Consider
checking out its website and Facebook pages. Then consider joining a local Chapter of
A.B.A.T.E.
www.thunderroadslams.com | April 2018 | Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi
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