Virginia Freedom Riders :: Freedom Forums

GirlGeek · Rider Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 23 Location: Delaware

ABATE OF DELAWARE, INC.
STATE LEGISLATIVE COORDINATOR
JUNE 6, 2007

GARY “HILDY” HILDERBRAND

This is an update regarding Senate Bill 46, The Mandatory Helmet Legislation introduced by Senator Gary Simpson.

On Tuesday June 5, 2007 Dave Hall, State Coordinator, Ed Berner, At Large Legislative Coordinator, and I met with Governor Ruth Ann Minner in regards to her position on the legislation. I would say it was very educational for everyone involved.

Her position, as it is on every piece of legislation she did not initiate herself, is noncommittal. She knows that Senate Bill 46 is stuck in Senator Henry’s desk drawer, and believes that it will not be dealt with this year. Key operative word here is, “THIS YEAR.” She indicated that she wishes for a helmet to be designed to not hinder vision or sight and that this would satisfy her concerns about implementing a mandatory helmet law.

Information we obtained from the meeting is, “some of our legislators have suggested passing the mandatory helmet law with the stipulation that it does not take effect until such a helmet is designed and approved, by who was not discussed, and available to the public to purchase.” Remember how seat belts became law? This fight is not over until next June and we will probably be looking at it for a long time to come. The Conference on State Legislatures, AAA, insurance companies, doctors, lawyers and many others want a mandatory helmet law in every state.

A side bar to our meeting with Governor Minner is that we met many other law makers and had some good discussions. Most seem to be with us. That doesn’t necessarily mean 11 senators and 21 representatives, which we need to defeat any legislation, are with us.

We did get to talk to Senator Simpson and he wants to push Senate Bill 46 but with the Democrats controlling the Senate he doesn’t think it will go anywhere right now. He asked us to call off the heat regarding our efforts to flood Legislative Hall with phone calls, e-mails, and letters. We indicated that we called off the national alert but would not stop our campaign all together. So keep those calls and letters coming in.

Sisters and brothers, if you want to preserve your freedoms you had better get off of your asses and work for the common good of all of us. This issue is not just about helmets. There are movements working against us that deal with being able to work on your own bike, buy after market parts, paint your own bike, graduated licenses, training programs, and many other things too numerous to mention. If you don’t believe me jump on line and talk to our sisters and brothers in other states and other countries. It’s coming and we can only survive by being collective. Sit on your ass, go it alone, or hope that some group will do it for you, and see how fast your freedoms erode.
_________________
GirlGeek
Delaware Freedom Riders