South Carolina Motorcycle Rights Association

Carbon Emissions

First it was carbon emissions from power plants that President Obama targeted for major changes in an announcement earlier this month, dropping them by 30% by 2030. Then a week later the EPA announced that it was going to begin regulating commercial airplanes carbon emissions. So it should be of no surprise that this week President Obama announced that he was going to crack down on emissions from medium and heavy-duty trucks. It will likely take over a decade to realize the suggested changes, but they are coming.

Proposed Changes to Motorcycle Helmet Standards

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues to gather comments on the proposed rule that would change the definition of a helmet to include actual measurements of the thickness of the helmet’s lining. The new rule would require a helmet to have a thickness of around one inch, thereby eliminating now-legal novelty helmets altogether. This proposed rule does not bode well for any motorcyclist, helmeted or not. Even if you live in a state that does not have a helmet law, please consider sending in comments. We have more than doubled the comments over last week, and we need to keep up the momentum. Please draft straightforward comments that focus on the shift from a performance standard of a helmet to a new construction-based standard. Go to www.regulations.gov, search for “motorcycle” and it is the first proposed rule to come up.

Interstate Highway Tolls

As you saw in a previous release this week, the Senate is going to be marking up a portion of the highway bill. This portion deals with the actual infrastructure, not those who use it. An idea has been floating around to allow for states to enter into a pilot program that would allow for state tolling of interstate roads. This pilot program has been around for over 17 years and has failed time and time again because of local outcry. The fat cats in D.C. who sit around a table and come up with these ideas rarely think of the locals. They see it as a revenue raiser for their state and rubber stamp it. When the ideas get back to those who will be impacted by these new, costly tolls on roads that have been built and maintained by the feds since their inception, they are met with massive local pushback. Yet D.C. just keeps trying to force the tolls down the throat of average Americans. Use the link below to make your voice heard by those who are making these decisions for you. No new tolls.

Tell the EPW Committee “NO TOLLS” in just 15 seconds

Presidential Candidacies

Another week, another slew of GOP candidate announces their candidacy. This week was highlighted by the bizarre rant of Donald Trump announcing his bid and attacking just about every other candidate by name. Jeb Bush, the younger brother of Bush 43 and son of Bush 41, also announced. He was the first two-term Republican governor of Florida. He is a capable businessman and a tireless campaigner. But he is a Bush, and in the “dog eat dog” world of American politics, one’s last name can mean a lot. Frankly, the country is sick of the Bush family, often referring to them as a dynasty or worse, royalty. It’s the same with the Clintons. “Been there, done that” seems to be the mindset of electing either of these candidates. I once sat next to Jeb on a cross-country flight. It was after his time as Governor, so he was out of the public eye. This is not an endorsement for Jeb Bush by any means, but he was a likable guy who could probably do a better job as President than either of the two Bush men who came before him. But alas: what’s in a name? Sometimes everything. The Presidential election is 506 days away.

Summer riding season is in full swing. Remember: you are an ambassador for motorcycling every time you and/or your friends ride.