Pending legislation in Olympia

[Torben]

Got this off another list.
Looks very promising!

1176 - modification to RCW to allow lane splitting in congested areas:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo1/dspBillSummary.cfm?year=2005&billnumber=1176

1258 - provision of preferential motorcycle parking:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo1/dspBillSummary.cfm?billnumber=1258&year=2005

5280 - provision for specific inclusion of a motorcycle awareness
component in driver education:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2005-06/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5280.htm

Public hearings on 1258 and 1176 appear to be scheduled for Feb. 28th:
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/Legislature/calendar/TR%2002-28-05%203%2030%20PM.htm

[sputnik]

1176 was presented in 2004 as HB 3159. Didn't go through.

http://www1.leg.wa.gov/house/default.htm

Call! Don't email, call your rep and let him/her know that you support these bills! Make sure you tell them that you're a voter in his area.

Jim

[charon]

1176 was presented in 2004 as HB 3159. Didn't go through.

http://www1.leg.wa.gov/house/default.htm

Call! Don't email, call your rep and let him/her know that you support these bills! Make sure you tell them that you're a voter in his area.

Jim


And here is where you can find out who you need to call:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/Default.aspx

[Mental998]

I called both my reps. I got recordings, but I did leave messages.

It looks like this is set to go to the floor on Monday.

[Torben]

I'm hoping folks took the initiative to call their local reps to make your opinions heard. As we learned from the recent state election, every vote (or every opinion) counts.
Rarely does legislation to affect you in such an intimate way - please do your part!

[Torben]

Here's some good ones as well:
"Prevent motorcycle profiling"
http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo1/dspBillSummary.cfm?billnumber=1149&year=2005
"Amending motorcycle helmet laws" (don't agree with this one, but feel free to be an organ donor)
http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo1/dspBillSummary.cfm?billnumber=1807&year=2005

[Gemini]

Reason #23183 to ride a ducati...

Harassment from police generally comes only after all japanese sportbikers and harley riders (at least that look like 1%) have been thoroughly taken care of.

[Mental998]

Rep. Pat Hale called me tonight. My oldest daughter had interned with Pat a few years ago.
Mrs. Hale said the lane splitting bill ain't gonna' make it. Her view is that it's too dangerous.

[lll0228]

Rep. Pat Hale called me tonight. My oldest daughter had interned with Pat a few years ago.
Mrs. Hale said the lane splitting bill ain't gonna' make it. Her view is that it's too dangerous.

Walking on the streets is too dangerous. Should we outlaw walking?

[Mental998]

Should we outlaw walking?

Don't give them any ideas.

[Torben]

It's odd the legislation proposing helmets being optional for people over 21 had more sponsors than lane splitting. Go finger . . . :rolleyes:

[UKDuc]

It's odd the legislation proposing helmets being optional for people over 21 had more sponsors than lane splitting. Go finger . . . :rolleyes:

Actually having a bill to have the option to not wear a helmet is the dumbest type of dumb there is. It is so dumb it makes me wonder if the factory making dumb is oversupplying dumb in an effort to make dumb even more popular than it already is :confused: :happy57:

[Teckhardt]

Mrs. Hale said the lane splitting bill ain't gonna' make it. Her view is that it's too dangerous.

I'll tell you what's dangerous, riding in stop and go traffic with a suv behind you. You are more likely to be run over by some idiot talking on their cell phone than to be injured while splitting lanes.

Why do fat ass legislators who ride desks, get to tell us how to ride?

End diatribe.

[sputnik]

http://www.tvw.org/search/sitesearch.cfm?keywords=HB%201176&Date=2005

interesting stuff starts about 22 minutes in.

[Torben]

1176 did not make it out of committee and once again is done for this legislative session.
1466 did however make it out of committee with a vote of 92 to 1 in favor and moves to the senate transportation.
I personally spoke with the sponsors of each bill to give some additional insight since little experience existed within the sponsorship ranks of the bills under consideration - in fact all motorcycle-related bills being considered were constituent requests.
So, lane splitting is out, but left turns on red seems to have a better chance.
Go figure. :rolleyes:

If you'd like to hear the debate on both bills, here it is
mms://198.239.32.152/Archives/200502/2005020253.wma
It's long; the order of bills considered can be found here
http://www.tvw.org/MediaPlayer/Archived/WME.cfm?EVNum=2005020253&TYPE=A
so skip around and find the commentary of interest.

[ngng]

so if you split lanes and get caught, what type of violation is that?

[belikeh20]

With the popularity of scooters it makes sense. Ever since Italy imposed a helmet law, scooter sales have dropped due to "helmet head." What about bicycles? King County had a bicycle helmet law first, then Seattle adopted a similar law.

It's odd the legislation proposing helmets being optional for people over 21 had more sponsors than lane splitting. Go finger . . . :rolleyes:

[Torben]

OK folks, we got one bill passed in the last session in Oly in our favour.
Getting stuck at a left turn signal that doesn't know you're there will be a thing of the past as of Sept. 1 :D
Here's a link to the bill digest
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2005-06/Htm/Bill%20Reports/Senate/1466.SBR.htm