Photo by Piutus

The beginning of the new legislative session is upon us!  Our elected officials are headed back to Olympia, and it’s time for us to remind them about our issues.  Black Thursday, motorcycling’s first big day in Olympia, is scheduled for January 22, 2009.  This is a great opportunity for us to show our representatives in the State Capitol that motorcyclists WILL stand up and be counted, that we WILL be heard in the halls of government, that we WILL be part of the solution.

How do you get involved?  First, you need to know who represents you: two members of the House, one of the Senate.  If you don’t know who these people are, you can go to http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx, enter your address, and the website will tell you who they are.  The next step: you need to call each of them, identify yourself as a constituent and a motorcyclist, and ask for an appointment.  A few fine points:

• Your legislator will not answer the phone.  The phone will be answered by his/her Legislative Assistant.  This is NOT a secretary or a receptionist.  This person is part of the legislator’s team, and supports him/her in the work of understanding our state’s many issues and crafting responses.  It is important to treat this person with the same respect you would show to the member.  He or she may ask you what you want to discuss.  I suggest your response be brief, and state that you are an active motorcyclist who lives in the district and you want your legislator to be aware of issues that matter to motorcycling.  Not sure what that is?  Read on….
• In general, our most important message is that motorcycling is a way of life as well as a serious mode of transportation for many of us.  I’ve met legislators and others who think that motorcycles are something we take out on weekends and play with when the sun is out (both days).  I know many people who use motorcycles as their primary means of transportation – including me!  It makes a big impression when you tell your legislator that this is how you or your friends get to work, and why.
• Texas Larry will be sending out a set of ‘talking points.’  This is a summary of the issues we are tracking right now.  This is NOT to tell you that you must only address those issues.  The talking points are offered as helpful hints, not an agenda.  We don’t have any particular bills we are running this session, but we are watching some trends that are important to motorcycling.
• Don’t own a suit?  No worries.  It’s actually great if you show up as a motorcyclist.  I most often do that at big-ticket fundraisers, because I want everyone to know I’m a biker.  If you don’t ride that day and don’t want to wear riding gear, just dress in something clean, comfortable and that would not offend either your mother or her old-maid sister.    Oh, by the way: I keep two helmets, one for normal riding and one that I wear around legislators.  The former is something you wouldn’t leave around for your mother to read – the latter is as clean as a baby’s first (or maybe second) thoughts.  Watch those patches, too.  We do want to make a positive impression.

When should you call?  Well, tomorrow would be good.  Tomorrow is only ten days from Black Thursday.  The legislators may not be in the office yet, but their assistants will be.  It’s important to get on their calendars before they fill up.  One important thing to remember: these are very busy people.  While they will do their best to keep their appointments with you, sometimes Things Happen.  If you are asked to wait or are told your appointment can’t be kept,  please be gracious.  Yes, it sucks.  But it’s not malicious – it just happens, when committee chairs call unexpected meetings, the Governor’s office wants to talk to you…  And if you can’t make it for some reason, please call and cancel, even if it’s just before your appointment.  It’s all about respect.

I know I’m asking you to do something pretty special and perhaps a bit hard.  For most of us (myself included), it involves taking a day off work.  But this is one of the most powerful statements you can make in defense of your right to ride.  Imagine a world where highways are built such that we can’t ride on them (some versions of the Intelligent Transportation System propose this).  Imagine a world where your choice of motorcycle is limited to one or two models (there are current and proposed pollution control rules that would make it impossible for manufacturers to offer many models or for you to customize your motorcycles – and don’t really impact pollution!).  If our elected officials do not see the face of motorcycling – that’s you and me – they can’t and won’t know how to act in our interest.  It’s important.

I also know that for some people, this is somewhat overwhelming.  If you would like either Texas Larry or me to accompany you, please let us know as soon as you have an appointment and we will do our best to do so.  I would also appreciate it if others with experience in Olympia would let Larry and me know if you’ll be there, so that perhaps we can pair you up with newcomers if Larry and I are both booked.  But we’ll be there all day, and we’d love to help.

By the way, if you live in the 43rd District and can be in Olympia for Black Thursday, please let me know right away.  Your representative is the House Speaker, Frank Chopp, and we would appreciate your help in obtaining an appointment with him.  On the off chance that someone from Spokane (3rd District) will be there, we’d like to meet with Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown.

If you live in a district with a new legislator (as I do), it is even more important he or she meets you.  We need to start out the new kids right.    During the campaign, I had a conversation about motorcycling with the candidate who eventually won.  He was very interested in our perspective and told me he had never realized the challenges we face – of course not, he doesn’t ride!  But he’s interested in what we have to say now, because he realizes there is a different perspective from atop two wheels.  That’s how this works, folks: we educate those who legislate, so they are empowered to legislate in our best interests.  They don’t know if you and I don’t tell ‘em.

Questions?  Please email me and/or Texas Larry:

president@roadriders.org
wrraleg@aol.com

I look forward to seeing you around the sundial!  — Ian

Ian King, President
Washington Road Riders Association
http://www.roadriders.org