Making Moves on Motorcyclist Advisory Council Reauthorization Act
The MRF and our moto lobby friends are continuing to drive cosponsors to our bipartisan and bicameral MAC Reauthorization legislation. We are pleased that eight new cosponsors jumped on this week to stand with the motorcyclists around the country. H.R. 5234 added six new cosponsors and five new states this week, bringing the total to 20. While the Senate companion bill, S. 3249, picked up two more cosponsors and added one new state. It’s worth noting that Wisconsin is the first state to secure both of their Senators on S. 3249.
H.R. 5234 Cosponsors
Original Cosponsors: Rep. Gallagher [R-WI-8], Rep. Pappas [D-NH-1], Rep. Rouda [D-CA-48] & Rep. Balderson [R-OH-12]
Rep. Davids [D-KS-3], Rep. Brownley [D-CA-26], Rep. Gibbs [R-OH-7], Rep. Grothman [R-WI-6], Rep. Lowenthal [D-CA-47], Rep. Rouzer [R-NC-7], Rep. Carbajal [D-CA-24], Rep. Sensenbrenner [R-WI-5], Rep. Huffman [D-CA-2], Rep. Young [R-AK-At Large]
New this week: Rep. Walberg [R-MI-7], Rep. Kind [D-WI-3], Rep. Burgess [R-TX-26], Rep. Bost [R-IL-12], Rep. Craig [D-MN-2], Rep. Lamborn [R-CO-5]
S. 3249 Cosponsors
Original Cosponsors: Sen. Johnson [R-WI] and Sen. Peters [D-MI]
Sen. Boozman [R-AR]
New this week: Sen. Shaheen [D-NH], Sen. Baldwin [D-WI]
I want to take a moment to share some preliminary results about the two MAC Calls to Action that we have been circulating. To date, 1,900 emails have been sent through our CQ Engage software to ask your elected officials to support this legislation. On the House side, Wisconsin leads the pack with the most letters sent, followed by Illinois and Texas. In the Senate, South Dakota is in the lead, followed by a tie between New York and Wisconsin. We appreciate everyone who has taken a few moments to contact their legislators on this issue, and we are more successful in meetings when they know that they have heard from you, their constituents on an issue. If you have not done so, you can use the links below. After you are done, be sure to share them with your SMRO friends or on social media.
MAC Call to Action Links
Ask your Senators to cosponsor S. 3249 here.
Ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 5234 here.
FAST Act Expires in 208 Days – Will there be a new Highway Bill in 2020?
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act was signed into law in 2015 provides long-term funding for surface transportation infrastructure planning and investment is set to expire at the end of September 2020. The FAST Act authorized $305 billion over fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for highway, highway and motor vehicle safety, public transportation, motor carrier safety, hazardous materials safety, rail, and research, technology, and statistics programs. Traditionally, the Highway Authorization tends to be one of the few things on Capitol Hill that is not a partisan issue. However, the feeling in D.C. that since 2020 is a Presidential election year that this Congress may kick the can down the road and pass an extension this year instead of passing a new law.
Regulatory News: Ethanol Consumer Education Stakeholders meet with EPA
Last Friday afternoon, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation joined the National Marine Manufacturers, BoatUS, Marine Retailers Association, Briggs and Stratton, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, American Motorcyclist Association, and the Motorcycle Industry Council for a meeting at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to discuss our concerns about inadequate E15 warning labels and lack of consumer education to prevent misfuelling at the pump.
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The invitation to the EPA is a clear signal that the Administration is poised to take some future regulatory action surrounding bringing E15 to market. As you may remember, President Trump granted the EPA authority to allow the sale of E15 year-round. However, the EPA will need to address some current federal regulations surrounding fuel storage requirements and misfuelling mitigation plans. After sitting down with Anne Idsal, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) at the EPA, our consumer education stakeholders group is preparing for the EPA to open a potential rulemaking in the coming months that will allow us to address our concerns about the current E15 label.
During the last Congress, we threw our support behind Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act along with our consumer groups that are forbidden by federal law from using fuel with higher than 10% ethanol (E10). Understanding that higher blends of ethanol are not going anywhere, we joined forces to push consumer education and proper labeling about the dangers of misfuelling at the pump. Early last year, H.R. 1024 was introduced and has been slow to gain Congressional support. We support this legislation because it allows consumers to be educated on higher blends on ethanol to make their own choice about what t
A recent Harris Poll conducted by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) found consumers remain confused about the multiple fuel product offerings at the pump. The study, which has been conducted annually for seven years, shows a lack of education, inadequate labeling and dangerous marketing tactics around new fuel products, such as higher ethanol-blended gasoline unleaded 88, are likely causing consumers to misfuel.
The study found that nearly two in five Americans (37 percent, up from 33 percent in 2019, 31 percent in 2017 and 2016, and 30 percent in 2015) mistakenly believe that higher ethanol blends of gasoline are safe to use for any gasoline-powered lawn equipment or other small engine products, such as boats or snowmobiles. For more details on their results, you can read there press release from this poll by clicking here.
State News: A.B.A.T.E. of Iowa comes to Capitol Hill – Arizona & Louisiana State Legislation Calls to Action
This week, the MRF had the pleasure of accompanying five members of A.B.A.T.E. of IA as they pounded the halls of Congress, letting their elected officials know what issues are important to the riders in their state. Over a few days, the team from Iowa was able to hit their whole Congressional delegation and even meet with some of their Representatives and Senators face to face. Below, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) met with the A.B.A.T.E. of Iowa during their visit to D.C.
The MRF has been offering SMROs the option of utilizing our CQ software for their state legislative initiatives. Over the last year, a dozen states have decided to use the software to monitor legislation and to contact their politicians on the state level. As a lot of state legislative sessions have ended for the year, we have two states that have active Calls to Action in circulation for the riders in their state.
Attention Riders from Arizona & Louisiana
Arizona has a CTA for their Motorcycle Safety Fund. If you live in Arizona, you can click this link.
ABATE of Louisiana has four separate Calls to Action out for the riders in their state. The legislative session in Baton Rouge opens next week, and the motorcycle rights advocates are already letting the politicians know the issues they care about.
SB 52/HB 316, Vulnerable All Road Users Act (combined with HB 316)
HB 310, “Dead Red” Bill
HB 146, ABATE “Share the Road” License Plate
SB 50, Hands Free Electronic Devic
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About Motorcycle Riders Foundation
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. The MRF is chiefly concerned with issues at the national and international levels that impact the freedom and safety of American street motorcyclists. The MRF is committed to being a national advocate for the advancement of motorcycling and its associated lifestyle and works in conjunction with its partners to help educate elected officials and policymakers in Washington and beyond.
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