Minneapolis: Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO, was named 2012 Powersports Business Executive of the Year by PowerSports Business, which publishes news, features and profiles for powersports dealers, manufacturers and suppliers. Powersports Business honored Dingman for the intensive efforts by the AMA to successfully overturn provisions of the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), known as the lead law, that effectively banned the sale of kids’ dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
The CPSIA, which went into effect on Feb. 10, 2009, banned the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under, including kids’ dirt bikes and ATVs, which contained more than a specified amount of lead in any accessible part.
To read the entire announcement, visitwww.powersportsbusiness.com/.
Proctor, Minn.: Look for more motorcycles and scooters this year on June 18. It will be the 21st annual worldwide “Ride to Work Day.” An estimated 1 million riders will become two-wheeled commuters to help demonstrate that riding is an efficient, economical and beneficial form of personal transportation. Participant-riders are of all ages, occupations and from all walks of life.
More than 100 American cities recognize Ride to Work Day by proclamation. According to the Ride to Work non-profit organization, commuting showcases the positive value of motorcycles and scooters for transportation. For hundreds of thousands of workers, motorcycles and scooters are an economical, efficient and socially responsible form of mobility that saves energy, protects the environment and provides a broad range of other public benefits. Motorcycling and scootering clubs around the world encourage their members to ride to work, especially on this annual day.
Source and full story: http://ridetowork.org/
Jefferson City, Mo.: Senate Bill 897, sponsored by Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), would prohibit any law enforcement agency from establishing a roadside checkpoint or roadblock pattern based upon a particular vehicle type, including the establishment of motorcycle-only checkpoints. The bill does not restrict any other type of checkpoint or roadblock that is lawful and is established and operated in accordance with the provisions of the U.S. Constitution and the Missouri Constitution. Voted out of the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on April 30, the bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
Carson City, Nev.: The Early registration deadline has been extended for the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference. The deadline for early registration for the 2012 International Women & Motorcycling Conference has been extended through May 15 due to popular demand. The conference will take place July 26- 29, in Carson City, Nev. The discounted price of $125 represents a savings of $50 off the regular member rate.
Included in the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference registration fee is entry to seminars, the marketplace and Moto Action center, the Saturday Women’s Health Fair, priority registration for manufacturer demo rides, the Friday Night Cookout and Saturday Night Celebration Party, as well as a conference t-shirt and gift bag.
Full conference details, as well as information about how to become an AMA member, are available at AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Events > Women & Motorcycling or on the conference Facebook page atFacebook.com/AMAWomenAndMotorcycling.
Baker City, Ore.: In response to overwhelming public outcry over a proposed closure of thousands of miles of long utilized routes of travel, the Forest Service has taken the rare step of withdrawing their recently released Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
The withdrawal, announced in an April 17 letter written by Forest Supervisor Monica Schwalbach, acknowledged that the move was effectively terminating the Travel Management Plan appeals process a mere two weeks before the previously announced April 30 deadline.
Richmond, Va.: House Bill 97, sponsored by Delegate Tony Wilt (R- Harrisonburg), provides that two two-wheeled motorcycles may ride abreast while traveling in a lane designated for one vehicle. House Bill 187, sponsored by Delegate C. Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock), prohibits the establishment on any highway of police checkpoints where the only vehicles subject to inspection are motorcycles. Both bills were signed into law by Gov. Bob McDonnell and take effect July 1.
Madison, Wis.: Championed by ABATE of Wisconsin and signed into law on April 2 by Gov. Scott Walker, Assembly Bill 55, sponsored by Assemblyman. Don Pridemore (R-Hartford), requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to suspend the driver’s license or operating privilege of anyone causing bodily injury or death to another road user.
If an offender’s operator’s license has been suspended for a failure to yield violation that resulted in injury or death, the DOT may not reinstate a person’s driving privileges unless the person has successfully completed a vehicle right-of-way course. In addition, all driver education courses must include at least 30 minutes of motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle awareness instruction.
