Advocacy Alerts

[UPDATE 29 APRIL 2004: This alert has now EXPIRED. Here are the results of this advocacy action:

On April 28th, 204, the Missouri House Transportation Committee passed SB710 along to the full House of Representatives. However, before doing so they stripped all the the bicycle and pedestrian provisions from the bill.

Senator Goode, the sponsor of SB710, is still supportive of the bicycle and pedestrian measures. So there is still some hope. But the lack of support from the House Transportation Committee is quite serious.

You can view a page of information about SB710 on the Missouri General Assembly's web site (but please note that as of 29 April 2004, both the summary and the full bill text are NOT final versions, and the final version has substantial and important changes from the version currently available online.)]

What happened
Our bicycle/pedestrian/motorcycle safety provisions were amended to SB710. SB710 passed the Senate and is now before the House Transportation Committee. At the committee hearing Wednesday, the bicycle provisions were vigorously attacked by automobile insurance industry representatives.

Finally they are taking it seriously. That means it has a serious chance of passing.

Since Wednesday we have been busy negotiating with senate staff and insurance industry representatives, working out a compromise version that seems to be acceptable to everyone.

What you can do in 2 minutes
Since the bill has been vigorously attacked, now it needs a vigorous defense. Please write or call members of the House Transportation Committee with this message:

Please support the bicycle/pedestrian/motorcycle
provisions of SB710. SB710 helps clarify the responsibilities
of bicyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and motorists
so that all can work together to make Missouri's roads safer.

We have given up a lot in the various compromises to SB710 (and you might mention that--there is some feeling that bicyclists are getting a lot of special treatment) but it still has some very, very good provisions.

There are a lot of members of the House Transportation Committee. If you're short on time, just write to a few (those closest to you, or just at random). Below are email addresses; below that name, phone, fax, district of committee members.

Email addresses of MO House Transportation Committee (ready to copy and paste)

Larry.Crawford@house.mo.gov
Charlie.Schlottach@house.mo.gov
Dan.Bishop@house.mo.gov
Lanie.Black@house.mo.gov
Mike.Daus@house.mo.gov
Gary.Dusenberg@house.mo.gov
Kevin.Engler@house.mo.gov
Tom.Green@house.mo.gov
Wayne.Henke@house.mo.gov
Robert.Hilgemann@house.mo.gov
Robin.Jones@house.mo.gov
Gayle.Kingery@house.mo.gov
JC.Kuessner@house.mo.gov
Brad.Lager@house.mo.gov
Ryan.McKenna@house.mo.gov
Rex.Rector@house.mo.gov
Joe.Smith@house.mo.gov
Mike.Sutherland@house.mo.gov
Kevin.Threlkeld@house.mo.gov
Terry.Young@house.mo.gov

Transportation Committee members: email, county(s) represented, phone, and fax

Larry.Crawford@house.mo.gov (chair)
573-751-2134 Phone
573-526-3994 Fax

Charlie.Schlottach@house.mo.gov (vice-chair) - rawford, Franklin, Gasconade
573-751-6668
573-522-8036 fax

Dan.Bishop@house.mo.gov - Clay
573-751-5282
573-526-9863 fax

Lanie.Black@house.mo.gov - Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard
573-751-4560
573-522-9201 fax

Mike.Daus@house.mo.gov - St. Louis City
573-751-6736

Gary.Dusenberg@house.mo.gov - Jackson
573-751-1487

Kevin.Engler@house.mo.gov - Perry, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve
573-751-3455

Tom.Green@house.mo.gov - St. Charles
573-751-6560
573-522-9202 fax

Wayne.Henke@house.mo.gov - Lincoln
573-751-9459
573-522-1459 fax

Robert.Hilgemann@house.mo.gov - St. Louis, St. Louis City
573-751-1400
573-522-5652 fax

Robin.Jones@house.mo.gov - St. Louis City
573-751-6800
573-526-2578 fax

Gayle.Kingery@house.mo.gov - Butler
573-751-4039
573-526-8794 fax

JC.Kuessner@house.mo.gov - Iron, Reynolds, Shannon, Washington
573-751-2112

Brad.Lager@house.mo.gov - Atchison, Holt, Nodaway, Worth
573-751-9465

Ryan.McKenna@house.mo.gov - Jefferson
573-751-2504
573-522-2466 fax

Rex.Rector@house.mo.gov - Cass
573-751-9780

Joe.Smith@house.mo.gov - St. Charles
573-751-2250
573-522-2070 fax

Mike.Sutherland@house.mo.gov - Montgomery, Warren
573-751-2689
573-526-0559 fax

Kevin.Threlkeld@house.mo.gov - Franklin, St. Charles
573-751-0538

Terry.Young@house.mo.gov - Jackson, Kansas City
573-751-9851
573-522-8172 fax

Details
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If you can personalize the message, even just a little, that helps. Individual messages are more effective (as opposed to CCing everyone). Calls, faxes, and written messages are more effective than email. But please take a moment to do SOMETHING, even if just CCing all members via email.
permanent link to article: "23 APR 2004 [Expired]: MO bicycle safety bill needs your support (again!)"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/23/2004 08:09:00 PM |comment on this article