A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois
Legislative Report
June, 2010

In last month’s report, I expressed hope that National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland had softened his earlier position that helmet use was a “core” element of motorcycling safety. Well, that hope was crushed in Administrator Strickland’s May 24th letter to AMA. In that letter, Strickland stated:

The core component of our program … is to increase helmet use.

Anything that the Congress does that would support the movement of riders into helmets would be efficacious of safety.

On the bright side, Administrator Strickland’s boss, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, has long been a friend of motorcycling and motorcyclists’ rights. We can only hope that he will continue his tradition of working with us on motorcycling issues.

Earlier this month, I learned of a website www.whoisbillbrady.com/families paid for by Democratic Governors Association–Illinois. The first listing under “Children's Health and Safety” criticizes state Senator Bill Brady for voting against Senator Trotter’s SB2535 which would have required all minors on motorcycles to be helmeted. Because the website does not say that Gov. Quinn endorses the content, I contacted the Democratic Governors Association and Pat Quinn’s campaign staff to confirm that he does endorse the criticism against Brady that Brady has voted against a helmet bill for kids.

Governor Quinn’s Chicago campaign staff promptly responded saying that Gov. Quinn would have signed the Trotter bill into law if it had passed the General Assembly. This means that he does agree with the criticism against Senator Brady; however, Gov. Quinn might view an adult helmet bill differently. While I admire the truthfulness and candor of Gov. Quinn’s people in responding to me, it appears there is a clear distinction between the two gubernatorial candidates: Bill Brady has long been a friend of motorcycling rights and will continue to be a friend whereas Pat Quinn would have signed a youth helmet bill into law.

Clearly, we have work ahead to influence both the federal and State governments that their job is to protect our motorcycling rights, not to take them away. Because this is an election year, we have an opportunity to do just that. In a larger sense, we have more than an opportunity – ours is a duty to maintain a high level of motorcycling freedom.

This year, you will be asked to give time, energy, and money to help our friends take the offices in government that will determine our future. They need us – and we need them. Future generations of bikers will look back at what A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois did in 2010 to preserve our freedoms. Let’s make them proud of us!

George Tinkham
A.B.A.T.E. State Legislative Coordinator
"Helping Democracy Work"