News Bytes
APEHANGERS LEGALIZED IN GEORGIA
A bill in Georgia modifies their existing handlebar height law
to allow for taller bars. House Bill 166, the “Motorcycle Mobility Safety Act,” passed the state Senate by a vote of 45-4
after clearing the House unanimously 166-0, and is headed
to Governor Nathan Deal for signature.
The new law increases the maximum measured height of
a motorcycle’s handlebars from 15 inches above the seat
to 25 inches.
Discriminatory in nature, handlebar height laws were never
about rider safety, and most were adopted by states in the
sixties to give law enforcement a tool for pulling over bikers
on choppers.
CALIFORNIA CONSIDERS TRAFFIC SCHOOL
FOR MOTORCYCLISTS
Traffic violators in California have long enjoyed the option of
completing an authorized “Traffic Violator School” in lieu of
adjudicating certain minor vehicle code infractions, thereby
avoiding “points” against their driving record and dismissing
the citation. These traffic schools originated in California,
where violators have a choice of approved defensive driving
courses, everything from comedy to singles and even online
courses, but nothing for motorcycle riders even if their ticket
was on a bike.
Now, Assembly Bill 1932 would “authorize a person who is
ordered or permitted to complete a course of instruction at a
licensed traffic violator school as a result of an offense committed while operating a motorcycle to instead complete an advanced-level motorcyclist safety training course.” The bill authorizes the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to
adopt standards for course content, contact hours, curriculum,
www.thunderroadscolorado.com
instructor training and testing, and instructional quality control
for the advanced-level motorcyclist safety training course.
FEDS RESUME CONTROVERSIAL
ASSET SEIZURE PROGRAM
Bikers have become all too familiar with the law enforcement
tactic of asset seizure, with club patches and trademarks
coming under fire in recent years, and now the Justice Department has just announced that it is resuming the controversial practice that allows local police departments to funnel a large portion of assets seized from citizens into their
own coffers under federal law.
Asset forfeiture is a contentious practice that lets police
seize and keep cash and property from people who are
never convicted - and in many cases, never charged - with
wrongdoing. The “equitable-sharing” program gives police
the option of prosecuting asset forfeiture cases under federal instead of state law. Federal forfeiture policies are more
permissive than many state policies, allowing police to keep
up to 80% of assets they seize.
The Justice Department had suspended payments under
this program back in December due to budget cuts included
in last year’s spending bill, raising hopes the department
was reining in the practice, but law enforcement groups recently rallied members of Congress to call on the Justice
Department to restore the payments.
Reports have found that the use of the practice has exploded in recent years, prompting concern that police may be
motivated more by profit and less by justice. In 2014, federal
authorities seized over $5 billion in assets.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “News is the first rough draft of history.”
~ Philip L. Graham (1915-63), journalist & newspaper publisher
May 2016
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 31