PLEASE SHARE THIS WITHE EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT RIDES!
PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO RIDE
The 2009 Washington State Legislative session started this month and Senator Ken Jacobsen from North Seattle has introduced the first two anti-ORV bills. Offroad vehicle hating Senator Adam Kline has signed on as co-sponsor of both.
SB5128 is similar to last year’s SB6301.
This draconian piece of legislation would send you to jail if you “damage vegetation”. Your bike would be forfeited based solely on probable cause and without process.
Additional unreasonable changes would also include allowing state agencies to take our ORV tab and gas funds to
repair damage caused by “off road vehicles” even if the agency does not allow any ORV use on the land they manage. This money would come off the top before any ORV trail or facility funding would be granted to anyone.
You can see the complete text of the bill by using this link:
http://apps.leg.wa.g... Bills/5128.pdf
SB5129 is not as bad, but it’s a waste of the taxpayers money and does not accomplish anything good.
It would require you to attach a 4 x 7 inch license decal on your bike.
The idea is that it will make it easier to identify you when you are committing crimes with your ORV.
Problem is that most criminals don’t usually bother to register their ORV so only law abiding people would be displaying the huge sticker.
You can see the complete text of the bill by using this link:
http://apps.leg.wa.g... Bills/5129.pdf
These bills are schedule for a public hearing before the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean and Recreation Committee on January 29th.
If you don’t like what these changes to the laws would do, please contact the Senators on the committee right away.
The members and their email addresses are:
Ken Jacobsen (chairman and bill sponsor) =
jacobsen.ken@leg.wa.gov,
Kevin Ranker =
ranker.kevin@leg.wa.gov,
Bob Morton =
morton.bob@leg.wa.gov,
Karen Fraser =
fraser.karen@leg.wa.gov,
Jim Hargrove =
hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov,
Brian Hatfield =
hatfield.brian@leg.wa.gov,
Val Stevens =
stevens.val@leg.wa.gov,
Dan Swecker =
swecker.dan@leg.wa.gov,
Here are some thoughts to consider when writing your comments:
If someone is actually damaging private or public property with an offroad vehicle that is already illegal and should be punished using existing laws.
If it is appropriate to send someone to jail for damaging a vegetable with an offroad vehicle, why wouldn’t doing the same harm with an automobile, horse hoof or shoe be just as heinous a crime and be punished equally severely?
Sending someone to jail for merely damaging any vegetation while otherwise legally operating an offroad vehicle is more than a bit disproportional is a state where the Court Rules list the maximum penalty for something as serious as driving the wrong way on the freeway as $182.
Taking funds from the Non-highway and Offroad Vehicle Activities account to pay for damage done by offroad vehicles at place where offroad vehicles are not allowed is like taxing sober drivers to pay restitution to the victims of drunken drivers.
Happy trails,
Tod Petersen
Vice President – Northwest Motorcycle Association
Political Action Committee Chairman – Washington Off Highway Vehicle Alliance
Email:
tod701@aol.com
Noon 13-March-2009:ride: 
