Harley Davidson comes to town / phone calls needed

 

 

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Harley Davidson comes to town -

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ABATE of Illinois learned of a proposed meeting between HD, MIC and Illinois SOS and IDOT about a month ago.  At that time, no such meeting seemed to exist but we circled the wagons and touched base with our friends at IDOT and SOS just the same.

 

Last Friday Harley Davidson’s Wayne Curtin, the MIC’s Billy Page and numerous Secretary of State and Department of Transportation staff met.  Our assumptions were correct – Harley Davidson asked the Illinois Secretary of State Office for the privilege to issue a waver for license upon completion of the HD Rider’s Edge. Last year they tried to amendment a bill but could not get a sponsor to agree with this practice.

 

After HD advocated that their pass/fail rate is similar to national averages and that a number of states have already given HD license waiver authority, the Illinois SOS denied their request stating that the conflict of interest exists no matter what the pass/fail rate has been in the past.

 

Thanks go to all those who came to the Legislative Day and Reception and asked our legislators to maintain the integrity of Cycle Rider Training Program and licensing in Illinois.  Your involvement does matter!  And ABATE member’s communication with their legislator’s is the key.

 

Also a big thank you to our friends at the SOS and IDOT who are dedicated to motorcycle safety – your willingness to help and listen is greatly appreciated. 

 

Now we just need to make sure that the CRT Fund and OHV Fund get pulled off of the Governors “sweep list”.  The CRT Fund is the fund that the Governor took a million dollars out of it in ’03 year and now plans to do so again.  If these two funds fall by the way side – public education for motorcyclists will be compromised to a potentially devastating degree. Calls to the Governors office and your legislator asking that they do not vote for any budget bills that will compromise these funds will help.

 

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Phone calls needed –

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Also, please make a NEW phone call to your Representative and ask them to vote YES on

-          HB-730 the Punitive Damage Bill sponsored by Representative John Bradley and

-          HB-934 the Seizure Bill sponsored by Representative Brandon Phelps. 

All phone numbers can be obtained by call the Capitol Directory Assistance at 217-782-2000.  We need to hear from the legislators that their phones are ringing off the hook.

 

 

So…..Keep your motors running!!!

 

Cheryl Pearre

Legislative Coordinator

ABATE of Illinois