News Bytes
NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
MINNESOTA ANTI-PROFILING MEASURE
INTRODUCED
A proposed anti-profiling bill before the Minnesota House
would create rules to reduce perceived profiling of motorcycle
riders and would require several law enforcement groups to
draft anti-profiling practices when dealing with the riders.
Once drafted, law enforcement agencies would then have to
train every officer and verify that with the state.
House File 59, “Motorcycle Profiling,” was filed on January 12,
2015 in the state House of Representatives and referred to
the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance
Committee, and the bill stems from claims that police have
been pulling over motorcyclists without reasonable cause:
“Purpose. The legislature finds that the reality or public
perception of motorcycle profiling alienates people from
police, hinders community policing efforts, and causes law
enforcement to lose credibility and trust among the people law
enforcement is sworn to protect and serve. No stop initiated by
a peace officer should be made without a legitimate reason;
the fact that someone rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle
paraphernalia is not a legitimate reason. Law enforcement
policies and training programs must emphasize the need to
respect the balance between the rights of all persons to be
free from unreasonable governmental intrusions and law
enforcement’s need to enforce the law.”
The measure defines “motorcycle profiling” as “(T)he illegal
use of the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears
motorcycle-related accouterments as a factor in deciding to
stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search
a person or vehicle with or without a legal basis under the
United States Constitution or Minnesota Constitution.”
HF 59 is co-sponsored by Rep. John Petersburg (R-Waseca)
who said that he signed on to the bill in part because he
heard claims of profiling on the campaign trail. In October, he
attended a forum hosted by American Bikers for Awareness,
Training and Education, or ABATE. “Because they’re riding
motorcycles and wearing motorcycle gear, they’re getting
stopped,” Petersburg said.
A representative for ABATE of Minnesota told the Owatonna
People’s Press that an anti-profiling bill was among the group’s
top legislative priorities. Minnesota was the first and only
state in the country to enact a biker anti-discrimination law;
Minnesota Statute Section 604.12, enacted in 1998 states
in part: “A place of public accommodation may not restrict
access, admission, or usage to a person solely because the
person operates a motorcycle or is wearing clothing that
displays the name of an organization or association.”
S.C. BILL AIMS TO REQUIRE CHILD SAFETY SEATS
AND BELTS ON MOTORCYCLES
A bill that would require babies and small children to be
secured to a motorcycle with seat belts is under consideration
by South Carolina lawmakers.
30 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
S.C. state Rep. Joseph Daning (R-Berkely Co.) filed legislation
(H. 3040) that would require a standard, rear-facing child
safety seat to be used for motorcycle passengers from birth up
to 1 year of age, and for a belt-positioning booster seat with
both lap and shoulder belts for children younger than 7 and
weighing 40-80 pounds. “We take care of our children in cars,
but they’re so unprotected on the back of motorcycles” said
Daning, who added that the bill was prompted by constituents
who feared an ex-spouse would ride their children on a
motorcycle.
Rep. Bill Taylor called Daning’s proposal “government
overreach” and said motorcyclists are a safety-conscious
community, but child-safety advocates support Daning’s
efforts. Only a handful of states impose a minimum age
for riders, and South Carolina is not one of them according
to the Children’s Trust of South Carolina, pointing out that
25 children required emergency medical attention due to
motorcycle injuries in the state from 2007 through 2009.
ABATE of SC state coordinator, Ralph Bell, emphasized that
there have been no fatalities of passengers under 7, and
said changing the law would hinder charity events. Dennis
Welborn, the state legislative coordinator for ABATE told the
Morris News Service that “Its passage would cause much
more harm than good,” and in particular, mounting a child
safety seat on a motorcycle would change its center of gravity,
making it unwieldy, affecting its handling and braking abilities.
MSF CONTRACTED TO MANAGE INDIANA
MOTORCYCLIST SAFETY PROGRAM
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has been awarded a
four-year contract by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles
to provide motorcycle training, beginning March 1, 2015.
The contract award marks the end of the state’s training
relationship with ABATE of Indiana, which had been training
riders since the 1970s. According to Jay Jackson, ABATE
executive director, more than 125,000 students completed its
courses during that time. The ABATE board of directors voted
not to renew its contract.
The MSF will oversee Indiana’s statewide training locations,
provide an Indiana-dedicated website and online class
enrollment function and administer all aspects of training,
including MSF’s extensive quality control program.
Indiana law requires would-be motorcycle riders to first obtain
a learner’s permit, and then pass a motorcycle skills test or
present a certificate of completion from a BMV-approved
motorcycle safety course. After March 1, Hoosiers who pass
the MSF Basic RiderCourse will not need to take Indiana’s oncycle skills exam.
“We’d like to recognize ABATE of Indiana for their achievements
in providing motorcycle training over the past several years
through the state’s network of training sites and trainers,” said
MSF Vice President Robert Gladden.
More than 7.5 million riders internationally have completed
motorcycle training using MSF’s curricula in the foundation’s
40-plus year history.
February 2015
www.thunderroadscolorado.com