MRF Alerts

It’s been one month since the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s Bikers Inside the Beltway event and our efforts are paying off.

An updated membership list of the House Motorcycle Caucus was released last week and it shows substantial growth in the month since riders came to Capitol Hill. 11 new members joined the organization which previously had 28 members. The nearly 40% increase is a direct result of outreach by MRF members!

The caucus hosts educational seminars and press events that shine a light on the issues facing the motorcycle community. It’s also a great way for riders to know which lawmakers are true allies. The Senate has a similar caucus and we hope to see growth with that group when its roster is updated.

Below is a list of the 11 new members of the House Motorcycle Caucus:

    Representative Axne (Iowa)
    Representative Brooks (Alabama)
    Representative Brownley (California)
    Representative Budd (North Carolina)
    Representative Rodney Davis (Illinois)
    Representative Norman (South Carolina)
    Representative Obernolte (California)
    Representative Pappas (New Hampshire)
    Representative Scott Peters (California)
    Representative Stevens (Michigan)
    Representative Wild (Pennsylvania)

Additionally, the House profiling resolution (H. Res 366) passed the 100-cosponsor mark last week as 10 new lawmakers signed on since Bikers Inside the Beltway. Passing the 100 mark is a great benchmark that helps show Congressional leadership that the issue of profiling is a concern to lawmakers. A special shout out to the riders from Kansas who added three new members and now have all four Representatives from their state as cosponsors.

Below is a list of the 10 new H. Res 366 cosponsors:

    Representative Banks (Indiana)
    Representative Davids (Kanas)
    Representative Dean (Pennsylvania)
    Representative Estes (Kansas)
    Representative Hinson (Iowa)
    Representative LaTurner (Kansas)
    Representative Kustoff (Tennessee)
    Representative Obernolte (California)
    Representative Ryan (Ohio)
    Representative Titus (Nevada)

Thank you to those that help impact these numbers and thank you to all the riders who came to D.C. last month.

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming calls to action on our legislative priorities. Answering calls to action is the easiest way to have your voice be heard in our nation’s capital.

For Immediate Release

June 4, 2022

International Motorcycling Advocate Deb Butitta Killed in Arizona Crash

It is with a heavy heart and a great sense of loss that the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) shares the passing of Deborah Butitta. Deb had been committed to serving and protecting motorcyclists’ rights at the state, federal and international levels during the last four decades. Deb was taken from us due to internal injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash after a truck turned left in front of her on June 3, 2022.

Deb was particularly active with ABATE of Arizona, holding many different offices through the years, and in 2001 was selected as the first designated lobbyist for the Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (AZCMC). Deb was a member of many state motorcyclists’ rights organizations, including the MMA of Arizona. She also served on the MRF Board of Directors for many years and was instrumental in the formation of MRF A&E (Awareness and Education), a 501(c)(3) charitable, non-profit organization created to assist the MRF in providing resources to promote motorcycle awareness and ‘share the road’ programs, along with all aspects of motorcycle safety education including rider training. A highly successful businesswoman in her own right, Deb was extremely well connected, not only in the motorcycling community and industry, but legislatively and in some very influential social circles as well. These relationships were of incredible value to the bikers of Arizona and the entire country.

Deb’s accolades and awards are many, including being inducted into the MRF Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Sturgis Hall of Fame and Museum in 2021. Deb is a past winner of the MRF President’s Cup (2003), the MRF Founder’s Award (2017), and the MRF Lifetime Achievement Award (2020). Among her many other duties, Deb served as the MRF’s State Representative for Arizona for 14 years. For several years now, the MRF has given the ‘Deborah Butitta Award’ to it’s highest performing State Representative in her honor.

A true leader, Deb had a profound influence on many of her fellow activists. Few people have dedicated so much of their life or contributed as much to motorcycling as Deb Butitta. Personally and professionally, her passing leaves a tremendous void in our “family”.

The federal government plans on studying aspects of motorcycle safety and it is asking for your comments. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will begin collecting data from motorists in the states of Florida and Pennsylvania regarding “Driver Awareness of Motorcycles.”

Specifically, the survey data will be used to assist NHTSA in its ongoing responsibilities for: (a) Planning and designing research and program activities to improve motorcycle safety; (b) providing support to groups involved in developing and implementing motorcycle safety outreach programs and driver safety campaigns; and (c) identifying areas in driver awareness and knowledge that need attention. NHTSA will use the information to produce a technical report that presents the results of the study. The technical report will provide aggregate (summary) statistics and tables as well as the results of statistical analysis of the information, but it will not include any personally identifiable information (PII). The project data will serve as a resource for NHTSA and stakeholders to identify gaps in knowledge among the driving public. The technical report will be shared with State highway offices, local governments, and those who develop traffic safety communications that aim to improve motorcycle safety.

This collection supports NHTSA's efforts to increase motorcyclist safety by examining factors related to the interactions between motorcycles and other motorists and their vehicles. The information from this collection will assist NHTSA in (a) assessing the extent and limitations of motorist knowledge of safe behaviors toward motorcycles, and (b) identifying the issues to emphasize in traffic safety campaigns and driver education. The collected information will help identify the beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions underlying driving behaviors towards motorcycles and inform the development of countermeasures to improve the safety of interactions between motor vehicles, specifically, motorcycles, and other vehicle types (primarily passenger cars and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)).

Click here to read the notice in the Federal Register and learn more about what the federal government plans to study.

Comments to NHTSA are due by June 6^th.

Friday, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed HB 1000, a bill titled “Prohibiting Motorcycle Profiling.” This bipartisan bill was sponsored by 10 different members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and passed both chambers of the legislature by voice vote before ending up on the governor’s desk for his signature. New Hampshire now becomes the 5th state with a law regarding the profiling of bikers. The new law states: “No state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency shall engage in motorcycle profiling. Motorcycle profiling shall mean use of the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle-related paraphernalia as a basis for deciding to stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search a person or vehicle under the United States Constitution or the New Hampshire constitution.” The New Hampshire Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization (NHMRO), working in partnership with other individuals and groups, including the New Hampshire Motorcycle Task Force, fought for passage of this piece of legislation. Earlier in the year bikers testified before lawmakers about the need to address profiling and shared personal stories about how profiling had impacted them. Congratulations to all those who worked so hard on this bill. Special thanks to Speaker of the New Hampshire House Sherm Packard, NHMRO President Traci Beaurivage and John from the Granite State Brotherhood MC for their dedication and hard work. New Hampshire is living up to its famous state motto, “Live Free or Die!”

Bikers Inside the Beltway – “Let us refuse to be silent! Speaking freely is a decisive step forward on the road to freedom” -- Leyla Zana

“Speaking freely” since its first orchestrated visit with members of Congress in 1989, is exactly what the Motorcycle Riders Foundation does. And the results are evident in the MRF’s history of legislative accomplishments.

Participatory democracy is what the MRF is all about. Bikers Inside the Beltway is a 13-year exercise in participatory democracy. Biker’s Inside the Beltway is about making a difference. You still have time to make a difference and let your voice be heard when you attend Bikers Inside the Beltway on May 17!

Protecting the rights of motorcyclists is not just a collection of words in a press release any more than leaving your motorcycle parked in your garage is about riding.

Profiling, E-15 (ethanol fuel), autonomous vehicles, all part of the present and future of motorcycling. The MRF’s legislative agenda is a result of input from motorcyclists with the directions to take care of business on Capitol Hill. That’s what Bikers Inside the Beltway is all about.

The MRF understands motorcycling, motorcyclists’ rights, and what it takes to keep the siege against your rights, your freedom, your lifestyle, and yes, your motorcycle at bay. However, participatory democracy works best with participants.  Your participation in Bikers Inside the Beltway is needed now.

Your visit to Congress does make a difference. In 2021, co-sponsors on MRF supported legislation rose over 20 percent during Bikers Inside the Beltway. Numbers make a difference. Currently, there are almost ninety co-sponsors on H. Res 366 – an anti-profiling resolution. By joining other freedom loving motorcyclists, you can help increase those co-sponsors and the resolution can move forward.

Day tripping to D.C.?  Make plans to attend MRF Board of Directors meeting on May 16 and the debriefing/recap on May 17 at the Embassy Suites, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 22314

Bikers Inside the Beltway 2022 – The Motorcycle Riders Foundation – “Let us refuse to be silent! Speaking freely is a decisive step forward on the road to freedom”

Yours in Freedom,

Fred

Fredric Harrell

Bikers Inside the Beltway – “Let us refuse to be silent! Speaking freely is a decisive step forward on the road to freedom” -- Leyla Zana

“Speaking freely” since its first orchestrated visit with members of Congress in 1989, is exactly what the Motorcycle Riders Foundation does. And the results are evident in the MRF’s history of legislative accomplishments.

Participatory democracy is what the MRF is all about. Bikers Inside the Beltway is a 13-year exercise in participatory democracy. Biker’s Inside the Beltway is about making a difference. You still have time to make a difference and let your voice be heard when you attend Bikers Inside the Beltway on May 17!

Protecting the rights of motorcyclists is not just a collection of words in a press release any more than leaving your motorcycle parked in your garage is about riding.

Profiling, E-15 (ethanol fuel), autonomous vehicles, all part of the present and future of motorcycling. The MRF’s legislative agenda is a result of input from motorcyclists with the directions to take care of business on Capitol Hill. That’s what Bikers Inside the Beltway is all about.

The MRF understands motorcycling, motorcyclists’ rights, and what it takes to keep the siege against your rights, your freedom, your lifestyle, and yes, your motorcycle at bay. However, participatory democracy works best with participants.  Your participation in Bikers Inside the Beltway is needed now.

Your visit to Congress does make a difference. In 2021, co-sponsors on MRF supported legislation rose over 20 percent during Bikers Inside the Beltway. Numbers make a difference. Currently, there are almost ninety co-sponsors on H. Res 366 – an anti-profiling resolution. By joining other freedom loving motorcyclists, you can help increase those co-sponsors and the resolution can move forward.

Rooms are available until May 15. Call the hotel direct line 703-684-5900 and use reference code MRF. Also, make plans to attend the MRF Board of Directors meeting on May 16 at the Embassy Suites, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Bikers Inside the Beltway 2022 – The Motorcycle Riders Foundation – “Let us refuse to be silent! Speaking freely is a decisive step forward on the road to freedom”

Yours in Freedom,

Fred

Fredric Harrell

Dear colleague...

With just 10 days before Bikers Inside the Beltway, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is gearing up to take our message to Capitol Hill. Co-Chairman of the House Motorcycle Caucus, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), has already started greasing the wheels for our arrival. This week he sent a letter to all 434 of his colleagues in the House of Representatives asking for support on the issue of motorcyclist profiling. Known as a “Dear Colleague Letter” this tactic allows lawmakers to contact each and every member of the House and ask for support. In this case Rep. Walberg is asking for his fellow Representatives to cosponsor H. Res 366. H. Res 366 is one of the major agenda items MRF members will be pushing when they meet with their elected officials in D.C. This action by Rep. Walberg means no congressional office can now honestly say, “I’ve never heard about this motorcyclist profiling issue.” Thank you for your leadership, Representative Walberg! Below is the full text of Rep. Walberg’s letter:

May 4, 2022

Dear colleague,

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. As the co-chair of the House Motorcycle Caucus, I am proud to represent the nearly 10 million motorcyclists in this country.

Motorcycles and motorcyclists not only represent an important part of our transportation network but are also an iconic part of the fabric of Americana. Over the years numerous motorcyclists have reached out to my office and others to discuss their concerns over the profiling of motorcyclists.

In response to these concerns, myself, Congressman Burgess (TX), Congresswoman Bustos (IL) and Congressman Pocan (WI) introduced H. Res. 366 a resolution that promotes awareness of motorcyclist profiling and encourages collaboration between the motorcycle community and law enforcement officials to prevent instances of profiling.

As of this week, 90 bipartisan members of the House have cosponsored the resolution including at least one member from 34 different states. In December of 2018, the U.S. Senate passed a nearly identical resolution on this topic. I am hopeful we in the House can do the same.

Please consider joining me and cosponsor H. Res. 366 and support the thousands of bikers back home in your district.

Sincerely,

Tim Walberg

Member of Congress

Bikers Inside the Beltway – The Motorcycle Riders Foundation has completed the preliminary work to pave the way to Washington, D.C., your attendance at Bikers Inside the Beltway will make a difference.

You still have time to take part in this exercise in participatory democracy. Half-a-world away, Ukrainians are not so blessed. They are defending their country from a despot hellbent on destroying the country and any semblance of democracy. Those freedom fighting Ukrainians would gladly trade places with any one of us if that’s all they had to do to preserve their country and freedom.

Is the MRF’s legislative agenda to support anti-profiling, renewable fuel education, and autonomous vehicle standards benchmarks to protect democracy? Compared to what the Ukrainians are doing to defend their democracy, hardly. However, the siege against your rights, your freedom, your lifestyle, and yes, your motorcycles is not going to go away because motorcyclists wish it so. Ukrainians do not have the luxury of traveling to their capitol in Kyiv. Attending Bikers Inside the Beltway and taking part in participatory democracy is still a luxury you should not take lightly.

“Let us refuse to be silent! Speaking freely is a decisive step forward on the road to freedom” – Leyla Zana

Remaining silent and not acting is an option that the MRF will not exercise, and neither should you. Since 1989, the MRF has brought over a thousand motorcyclists to Washington to meet with their members of Congress with the sole mission of promoting a legislative agenda that continues to successfully become law on behalf of all street riding motorcyclists.

Your personal visit to Congress does make a difference. In 2021, co-sponsors on MRF supported legislation rose over 20 percent during Bikers Inside the Beltway. Numbers make a difference. Currently, there are almost ninety co-sponsors on H. Res 366 – an anti-profiling resolution. By joining other freedom loving motorcyclists, you can help increase those co-sponsors and the resolution can move forward.

The MRF’s legislative agenda – beyond the three items listed below -- recommended and approved by SMRO leaders at the 2021 Meeting of the Minds, is not all-inclusive. Changing ethanol 15 to all-year availability demonstrates why the MRF’s legislative agenda is important:

• Profiling: Sustain lobbying efforts for the passage of resolutions or legislation that promotes awareness and prohibition of motorcyclists profiling.

• Renewable Fuels: Advocate for targeted changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Support the universal availability of approved fuel blends, containing no more than 10 percent ethanol by volume. Ensure that consumers are educated on proper fuel usage.

• Autonomous Vehicles: Advocate and monitor any legislation or regulations related to motorcycles concerning connected and autonomous vehicles (AV) including endorsing rulemaking to set new standards specific to seeing, detecting, and properly reacting to motorcycles. Ensure motorcycles are part of all testing and development procedure.

Join us to ensure that the mission of getting our message to Congress does not fail, please consider the following:

• Make your appointments locally or in Washington.
• Familiarize yourself with the briefing points.
• Confirm your appointment locally or in Washington.
• Virtual or in person, make notes on your meeting.
• Share your meeting notes with the MRF.

Numbers do make a difference toward accomplishing the legislative goals of the MRF. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for reelection. Thirty-four members of the Senate are up for election. Numbers do make a difference. Like it or not, legislators tend to listen better during election years.

Paving the way for the long haul is what the MRF does to ensure that the future of motorcycling survives. It is not too late to use that “paved way” to help the numbers make a difference.

Rooms are available until May 15, through the hotel direct line 703-684-5900 and use reference code MRF. And while you are there, make plans to attend a meeting of the MRF Board of Directors on May 16 at the Embassy Suites, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Bikers Inside the Beltway 2022 – The Motorcycle Riders Foundation – “Speaking freely is a decisive step forward on the road to freedom”

Yours in Freedom,

Fred

Fredric Harrell
DIRECTOR OF CONFERENCES & EVENTS

April 22, 2022

BIKERS INSIDE THE BELTWAY 2022 -- Paving the Way & Rolling Toward Washington, D.C.

The groundwork to pave the metaphorical roads to Washington D.C. and Capitol Hill took time and commitments from freedom loving motorcyclists from throughout the country. Individual attendance to Bikers Inside the Beltway, less than a month away, makes a difference in accomplishing our legislative goals.

Yes, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is rolling toward Washington. Yes, since 2009 the MRF has hosted Bikers Inside the Beltway, a grassroots tradition orchestrated by SMROs that began with just as much determination but without a name in 1989.

The MRF has brought over a thousand motorcyclists to Washington to meet with their members of Congress with the sole mission of promoting a legislative agenda that continues to successfully become law on behalf of all street riding motorcyclists.

Those visits are effective. Members of Congress know that it is not easy for constituents to make the trip to Washington, D.C. And when constituents from a well-known organization such as the Motorcycle Riders Foundation venture to Washington to meet with their congressional delegation, members of Congress tend to listen.

Your personal visit to Congress does make a difference. Co-sponsors on legislation the MRF supported rose over 20 percent during Bikers Inside the Beltway in 2021. Numbers make a difference. Currently, there almost ninety co-sponsors on H. Res 366 – an anti-profiling resolution. By joining other freedom loving motorcyclists, you can help increase those co-sponsors so that those numbers make an even greater difference.

The MRF’s legislative agenda – beyond the three items listed below -- recommended and approved by SMRO leaders at the 2021 Meeting of the Minds, is not all-inclusive. News items during the past two weeks have repeatedly demonstrated why the following items are at the top of the MRF’s legislative agenda as we move toward Bikers Inside the Beltway:

• Profiling: Sustain lobbying efforts for the passage of resolutions or legislation that promotes awareness and prohibition of motorcyclists profiling.

• Renewable Fuels: Advocate for targeted changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Support the universal availability of approved fuel blends, containing no more than 10 percent ethanol by volume. Ensure that consumers are educated on proper fuel usage.

• Autonomous Vehicles: Advocate and monitor any legislation or regulations related to motorcycles concerning connected and autonomous vehicles (AV) including endorsing rulemaking to set new standards specific to seeing, detecting, and properly reacting to motorcycles. Ensure motorcycles are part of all testing and development procedure.

The pandemic, and the events of January 6, 2021, did not deter the MRF. More than one-hundred motorcyclists attended the first in-person meeting in 2021 with members of Congress last May. The above items are the missing pieces of the 2021 infrastructure legislation, and they are driving the MRF’s need to return to Washington when Bikers Inside the Beltway meets on May 17.

Join us to ensure that the mission of getting our message to Congress does not fail, please consider the following:

• Make your appointments locally or in Washington
• Familiarize yourself with the briefing points
• Confirm your appointment locally or in Washington
• Virtual or in person, make notes on your meeting
• Share your meeting notes with the MRF

Numbers do make a difference toward accomplishing the legislative goals of the MRF. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for reelection. Thirty-four members of the Senate are up for election. Numbers do make a difference. Like it or not, legislators tend to listen better during election years.

Paving the way for the long haul is what the MRF does to ensure that the future of motorcycling survives. It is not too late to use that “paved way” to help the numbers make a difference.

Rooms are available through the hotel direct line 703-684-5900 and use reference code MRF. And while you are there, make plans to attend a meeting of the MRF Board of Directors on May 16 at the Embassy Suites, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Bikers Inside the Beltway 2022 – The Motorcycle Riders Foundation -- paving the way for the long haul and rolling toward Washington, D.C.!

Yours in Freedom,

Fred

Fredric Harrell