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The May 2013 Newsletter of the Southwest Chapter of ABATE of Florida
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MAY 2013 Volume XXXII, Issue I X
ABATE of Florida, Inc. ~ Southwest Chapter
ABATE
Legislative News • MSAP Instructors • Community service
PG 2
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ABATE of Florida, Inc.
Southwest Chapter PO BOX 60745 • Fort Myers, FL 33906
southwest.abateflorida.com
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
NEXT CHAPTER MEETING JUNE 2ND
ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC.
MISSION STATEMENT WHO WE ARE
We are a non-profit organization of motorcycle enthusi-asts from all walks of life. We lobby and educate the government and the general public to promote motor-cycling in a safe and positive image. We endeavor to enlist the cooperation and participation of all organiza-tions and individuals that share a similar interest in pre-serving our American tradition of FREEDOM. We pro-mote motorcycle safety, training, & political awareness. We ARE NOT A CLUB OR A GANG. We fund our work through toy runs, poker runs, campouts, and other mo-torcycle activities. We are your neighbors & friends who work, pay taxes, and get involved with our community. We serve and support our country and believe in free-dom. We use all legal means to protect our rights with-out infringing on the rights of others.
OUR GOALS
To become a powerful and viable political force in legis-lative matters concerning the motorcyclist.
To promote the safe riding habits without infringing on individual freedoms.
To motivate the bikers to write letters to their legisla-tors before, during, and after the legislative session.
To furnish our members with a newsletter to keep all bikers informed in regards to upcoming legislation.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of ABATE of Florida, Inc. and or the Southwest Chapter. This publication allows members to express their beliefs and opinions. ABATE of Florida, Inc. and Southwest Chapter accept no responsibility for the comments, opinions or views contained in this newsletter.
Please direct correspondence in reference to this publication to:
Wayne Cerra (cell) 239-989-3349
Donations to ABATE of Florida, Inc. are not deductible for Federal Tax Purposes. ABATE of Florida, Inc.
© 2010 ABATE of Florida, Inc. Southwest Chapter • All Rights Re-served ABATE of Florida, Inc. and the Southwest Chapter do not condone drinking while riding or driving
IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER; ISSUE DATE:
MAY 2013
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
ABATE of Florida, Inc. Southwest Chapter
PO Box 60745, Fort Myers, FL 33906
http://southwest.abateflorida.com/
PRESENTLY, MEMBER MATERIAL DEADLINE IS THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE EACH CHAPTER MEETING
FOR BOARD APPROVAL FOR SUBMISSIONS
NEW ADVERTISERS OR AD CHANGES MUST
BE SUBMITTED BY THE
15TH OF EACH MONTH
Southwest Chapter Meeting Schedule
This months Chapter Meeting
Will be held on
MAY 5TH, 2013 10 a.m.
at Harley Davidson of
Fort Myers
Located at 2160 Colonial Dr.
Fort Myers, FL 33907 239-275-4647
southwest.abateflorida.com
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER NEWS PAGE 3
Hello Everyone,
May is National Motorcycle Safety month and to celebrate we kicked off our annual Bears for Bears event at Sun Sports on April 20. Thank you Sun Sports for host-ing the event and to Lt Schmidt of LCSO for taking time out of his schedule to help with the kick off. May 26th is the time we hand over the collected new stuffed ani-mals to LCSO. Tallahas-see’s Freedom ride is be-hind us and there was a strong presence from ABATE members this year at the State house. Maybe the weather had some-thing to do with it as last year it was in February and 20 degrees. The names were called for fallen brothers and sisters and the last name was read by the Granddaughter of a Caloosahatchee member who perished as he was hit head on by someone who didn’t see him, Rest in Peace Dale Vest.
Many Bills are being looked at this session and it looks like we will be getting a tex-ting bill through this year. On another
note, our safety money has been put back into the budget but I’m wary until I see it, stay tuned. Your Chapter Officers have been working on the State meeting and the Bears for Bears so as we near these events we could use your support. Also, last bike night of the season is May 11th and what a bet-ter way to ride into Bike night in Down Town Ft Myers than coming out to Naples and supporting the 1st annual Ovarian Cancer ride end-ing at Fords Garage.
Leesburg is going on as I write this letter and I would have loved to join the mem-bers and friends who rode out to this event. Trying to slow things down puts a damper on the weekends. Last but certainly not least we have up-
coming Chapter elections and appoint-ments. I am encouraged by the meeting turnouts and those members who have been on board and those who have stepped up to continue to make the Southwest Chapter a premier Chapter in the State.
Ride Safe and ride often, Wayne
President’s Message
President Wayne Cerra 239.989.3349 [email protected] Vice President Jimmie Dennis 239.440.4213 [email protected] Secretary Tracy Davis 239.645.7936 [email protected] Treasurer Todd “KC” Burns 239.634.3080 [email protected] Sergeant At Arms Ken Coon 765.464.9542 [email protected] Membership Trustee Moe Moser 412.999.3397 [email protected]
PR Communications Wayne Cerra 239.989.3349 [email protected] Legislative Ken “Teddybear” Miller 239.693.7035 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Barbara “Babs” Bardell 239.822.3272 [email protected] Products Jimmie Dennis 239.440.4213 [email protected] Safety Coordinator Victor Piorkowski 239.823.6159 [email protected] State Delegate Pam Mix 239.362.8807 [email protected]
State Delegate Victor Piorkowski 239.823.6159 [email protected] Webmaster Taylor Musburger 239.334.1620 [email protected] Advertising Fred Glennon 339.235.2189 [email protected] Photographer Pam Mix 239.362.8807 [email protected] Chapter Chaplain Tom Provenzano 239.267.8641 [email protected] Road Captain Scott Turner 239.633.5765 [email protected]
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER NEWS PAGE 5
ABATE of Florida, Inc. Southwest Chapter
EXECUTIVE BOARD & TRUSTEES PO Box 60745, Fort Myers, FL 33906-6748
Southwest.abateflorida.com
HELP SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MRO* Chapter Meetings held at Harley Davidson of Fort Myers
1st Sunday of each month *MOTORCYCLE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC. ©2012 ABATE of Florida, Inc. Southwest Chapter • All Rights Reserved
Donation to ABATE of Florida, Inc. are not deductible for Federal Income TaX Purposes ABATE of Florida, Inc. and Southwest Chapter Does Not Condone Drinking and Driving or Riding
Riding our Motorcycles
Through the Storms
Getting Through the
Storms of Life
A year ago, we wrote to you about our just having returned from S. Indiana, where we were deployed to work with the victims/survivors of the tornadoes in that area. Sev-eral months ago, Tom had spent some time on Staten
Island working with flood and Hurricane Sandy victims/survivors, providing crisis intervention and spiritual care. We are now fully in tornado season for a large portion of our country and hurricane season for our area is only a month, or so, away. Again, it made us think of the storms we have encountered during our motorcycle years.
Riding Out the Storm As motorcyclists, how many of us decide to ride our bikes when there are storms on the horizon? Before leaving on the ride, we check the weather reports and look at the radar. Many of us decide to go. If we have a long trip ahead, we almost always decide to go. If wet and/or cold weather is ahead, we will pack the proper gear and we will be prepared to get through the worst. Sometimes we will need to stop along the way and “hunker down.” However, based on our motorcycling experiences, we know the weather will only cause a short delay on our trip. The primary reason most of us choose to ride with poor weather on the horizon is that we know the poor weather will be temporary. We know that if we go through the storm, there will be the reward of sunshine on the other side and a great ride will welcome us. Sometimes going through poor conditions will make us better appreciate the nicer conditions, once we reach the other side. How do we know all this? We know because we are experi-enced. We “deal” with the weather every day of our lives. A number of years ago, Tom took off from Florida on one of our old GoldWings to head up to Connecticut, to visit his daughter and grandkids. The plans were to take two or three full days, leave I-75 at Charleston, ride up the east coast (literally along the coast), ride the ferries from barrier island to barrier island in North Carolina, take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and just be a tourist. As soon as he was enter-ing the Daytona Beach area, a steady rain settled in. The rain did not give up until two days into the ride. He had a few good things going for him: a good motorcycle to bring him through; a good rain suit; and knowing that sooner or later, the sun would shine on the other side. Also, his daughter, her husband, and the grandkids would be there to welcome him, at the end of the ride. Sometimes, our lives seem like storms that have to be ridden out, just like we ride out the weather as a biker. There are financial problems, family situations, health issues, relational issues, job situations, things happening that we have little or no control over, etc... We’ve never heard a biker get angry
with God about the weather conditions. So the question needs to be asked, “Why do we need to be angry with God or forget about Him entirely, when we encounter the storms of life?” Take a look in Job 1:6-12. It is clearly obvious that Sa-tan wants you to curse or be angry with God when we en-counter life’s storms. God never promised us that everything would be perfect, in this earthly life. However, for those that believe upon Him, He has promised He will be there to get us through! And, there is the promise of eternal life in Paradise, at the end of life's ride. Deuteronomy 31:6 -Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Romans 8:35-39 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than con-querors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Je-sus our Lord. KJV
How can we be prepared for life’s storms? How can we get through them?
Get to know God and experience Him every day in your lives – just as you have gotten to know the weather as bikers. The more you get to know and experience Him, the more you will know on how to deal with life. Don’t be angry with God. Your real adversary is Satan, not God.
We remember a song written in the early ‘70’s by Andre Crouch, “Through it All.” A few of the lyrics in the song are something like this: “I thank God for the mountains and I thank God for the valleys… for if I had no problems, I’d never know that God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in His Word could do.”
Please accept what God has done for you, to get you to the other side of the storms. Wouldn’t you rather face life’s storms with God, than without Him? Please pray this prayer. "Dear God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, my heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner and have been separated from You. I ask forgiveness of my sins. I confess with my mouth that your son Jesus is my savior and died for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. I receive Jesus into my heart and ask Him to become the center of my life. I’m tired of facing life’s storms without You. I will keep my eyes fo-cused on you and no longer curse You. Blessed be your holy Name. All this I ask and pray, in the Name of Jesus. Amen."
Blessings, Tom and Kathy Pastor Tom (Estero River ABATE Life Member and South-west Chapter Chaplain) and Pastor Kathy (SW ABATE Life Member - Foursquare Chaplain)- www.messiahsmessengers.org or [email protected] 239-267-8641
DEAR FELLOW ABATE MEMBERS
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SOUTHWEST CHAPTER LIFE MEMBERS
Keith Baker Darrell Barnett Denee Bartels Scott Blink Chet Butz James Burkholder Nora Burkholder Don Campbell Frances Cazes Wayne Cerra Jonathan Conant Terry Covington Audrey Cran Maggie Cran Rick Cran Rob Cran Robert “Cruz” Crusan Jim Crystal Dan Curry Ginny D’Asti Biffle Davis Mary Dicenzo-Porter Al Diagiaco Frank Disomma Cindy Doak Randy Eck Marius Espeleta Brian Galvin
Sonny Gartrell Steven Goldstein Lynnda Gray Larry Gullia Bob Hall Harry Hoover Jeff Hoover George Huttman Susan “Red” Huttman Dan Jackson Cindy “CJ” Jordan Frankie Kennedy John Kennedy
Ed LaCombe Julio Lopez Mary Ann Rivera-Lopez “KD” Marlowe Russell May Rev.Rea Means Don Meredith Jr. Jo Ann Miller Kenneth Miller John Mitchell Jim Mozeleski Taylor Musburger Terry Padilla Bob Penn Asuncsion Peppers
Richard Peppers Victor Piorkowski Kathleen Provenzano Rev. Thomas Provenzano Bill Robinson Janet Rolfe Tabitha Rossi Roland Salsberry Jencye Schmitt Jerry Schmitt Bruce Scheiner Elsie Seif Robert Simon Kelly Smith Randall Spivey Richard Stergulz Sandy Stergulz Grandpa Stewart Lynda Stewart Russell Sullivan Scott Turner Ruth Vorys Teresa Webster D. Payton Wells Michael Wieland Jama Wyatt Steve Wyatt
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LEGISLATIVE REPORT ~ MAY 2013 Submitted by Ken “TEDDYBEAR” Miller Good Morning Freedom Fighters:
Did I mention last month about how one door closes and another door opens? Well, when it comes to politics it’s more like a revolving door, a never ending cycle. Even though this year’s local elections are in full swing, the pols in Tallahassee are busy with fundraisers for next year. According to the reports most of this early money seems to be coming from lobby and special interest groups. Wow, imagine that!!! The Cape Coral mayor’s race is starting to heat up. At least three people have filed to run against incumbent Cape Coral Mayor John Sullivan. Cape Coral businessman Dan Ashby, stepfather of wounded Army veteran Corey Kent who recently returned home to the Cape, is running for Cape Mayor, joining can-didates Vince Cummings and Marni Sawicki to challenge Mayor John Sullivan’s re-election. Ashby talked about his son’s experiences after losing his legs in Afghanistan, and how that led him to the mayoral contest. “Cape Coral has given so much to our family” af-ter Corey’s experiences, he said. “I’m a veteran, and I’m proud of what my son did and the Cape is part of our fam-ily … I want to bring some business sense and common sense to the city’s leadership.” Still, this race is not about Corey: “It’s about what we can do as a community.” A resident of Cape Coral since 2003, Ashby said he has experience in business and as a moti-vational speaker, and wants to use that to propel the Cape as it emerges from the economic downturn. From ABATE of Florida, Inc. Darrin “Scribe” Brooks
Hey Everyone,
TEXTING BAN ON OPEN ROAD TO FULL HOUSE VOTE In a room full of people texting updates to and otherwise using electronic devices, a long sought measure to ban such behavior while driving was given a green light to the House floor on Wednesday. The measure (HB 13) was approved with just one "no" vote in the House Economic Affairs Committee, it's last preliminary hearing before heading to the full House. "It's the beginning of the change that is necessary in our culture that people learning a new activity, whether it be driving or whether it be texting, that certain activities are appropriate and certain activities are inappropriate, and texting is inappropriate while behind the wheel of an auto-mobile," said Rep. Doug Holder, R-Sarasota, the sponsor of the House legislation. Legislators have struggled to advance the proposal in past sessions, particularly in the House, where concerns have aired over imposing new rules that infringe on personal liberties.
Committee Chairman Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, who voted against the bill, said he wanted to remain con-sistent in resisting measures perceived as expanding gov-ernment intrusion. He has previously opposed allowing stepped up enforcement of seat belt requirements, and the use of red light cameras. "Where do you cross the line of digging in your bag and getting a French fry and driving?" Patronis asked. The bill would make texting while driving a secondary of-fense, meaning drivers would have to be pulled over for something else before they could get a secondary ticket for texting. The fine would be $30 plus court costs, which could be as much as $129. A second ticket within five years would be marked as a "moving violation" against one's license and come with a $60 ticket, before court costs are added that could run up to $179. Holder, claiming that polls indicate that up to 95 percent of Floridians support the ban, said police may track records to determine if an individual was texting while driving, but he would expect that to occur typically only when there had been a crash or during a death investigation. "One of the most important parts of this bill is to empower parents and drivers ed teachers to be able to tell their chil-dren and students that texting while driving is illegal in the state of Florida," Holder said. Florida is in the minority, most states have at least some restrictions on texting while behind the wheel. The bill has exceptions, such as allowing the use of “talk-to-text” technology, reporting emergencies, and allowing texting while a vehicle is stopped, such as at a red light. The bill had been previously unanimously approved by the Transportation & Highway Safety and Civil Justice sub-committees. The Senate version (SB 52) has also cleared two commit-tees and awaits a hearing before the Judiciary Committee. TXT BILL 2 SEN FLOOR A bill that would ban texting while driving is headed to the Senate floor after clearing its last committee stop unani-mously. The measure (SB 52) was approved by the Sen-ate Judiciary Committee on Monday, bringing a years-long debate closer to an end. "Hopefully, we've gone beyond public support into public frustration that we haven't passed something," said Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, the bill's sponsor. "I think this is the year." The House companion (HB 13) is also ready for the floor. POSSIBLE END OF THE ROAD AHEAD FOR NO-FAULT INSURANCE Efforts to drive fraud out of the state's no-fault auto insur-ance system may not get a full test run. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on Tues-day began looking at the possibility of replacing the sys-tem, just a year after a major overhaul that is now tied up in court. Lawmakers last year tried to tackle fraud in the state's Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, insurance sys-
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tem, but the changes ran up against a Tallahassee circuit court judge, who last month blocked, at least temporarily, part of the law. That has lawmakers now looking at simply scrapping PIP, the required coverage for other motorists injuries that was intended to avoid car crash claims getting tied up in court. "I think it's clear that PIP has got a defined life in the state of Florida," said Committee Chairman Sen. David Sim-mons, R-Maitland. Simmons is confident that if lawmakers were to decide next week to move forward with a bill to replace the no-fault system that premium prices for most Florida drivers would come down. He pointed Tuesday to an Office of Insurance Regulation report that nearly 90 percent of Flor-ida drivers with insurance already are covered with some form of bodily injury protection. "All of this certainly leads to the conclusion that for many policy holders in the state of Florida they would see a re-duction in policy premiums by getting rid of PIP," Simmons said. The trade off to bodily injury coverage as the bargain basement of coverage is that without no-fault, court cases would be expected to increase as crash victims have to recoup medical coverage from the party at fault. Insurance companies quickly lent their support to discus-sions of replacing no-fault, the state system that was de-signed in the 1970s to steer people away from court after auto accidents by providing up to $10,000 in medical crash coverage regardless of the party at fault. "We understood that the monumental effort to try one last time to reform PIP was important, we supported that," Mi-chael Carlson, executive director of Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, told the committee. "On behalf of about 45 percent of the marketplace, despite the chilly temperature in this room, we are warming up to this idea. We think that after years, decades of attempt to reform PIP, to drive out fraud, I think we have reached the point of impasse." Backers of the 2012 no-fault reform had hoped that nearly 70 percent of the cost in claims prior to last year's law would be eliminated with the end of repayments for non-emergency massage therapy and acupuncture treatment. However, Judge Terry Lewis sided with the claim by chiro-practors and massage therapists that the law illegally pre-vents accident patients from using PIP claims to pay for their treatment. The state has already filed an appeal with the strong back-ing of Gov. Rick Scott, but some supporters of the 2012 law said the reform effort has effectively been "kneecapped" by the judge. Paul Jess, representing the Florida Justice Association, a trial lawyers group, said that even without Lewis' ruling, the "new PIP isn't going to work any better than the old PIP." The new law required insurance companies to cut the rates on the no-fault portion of coverage by at least 10
percent starting Oct. 1 or demonstrate why they couldn’t. A second filing, where rates are expected to drop 25 per-cent, is set for Jan. 1, 2014. SENATE COMMITTEE SENDS AUTO FEE BILL TO THE FLOOR A bill rolling back motor vehicle registration fees is headed to the Senate floor despite facing an uncertain future in the House. The measure (SB 1832) easily cleared the Senate Appro-priations Committee, the only committee the bill was sent to by Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. After the vote on Thursday, Gaetz issued a statement making it clear he wants the bill to pass. "Not only will his bill rid our state of an antiquated govern-ment subsidy for the insurance industry, but, more impor-tantly, it will keep money in the pockets of our hard-working taxpayers," Gaetz said. "I am glad to see the pro-posal, which will reduce vehicle registration for every Flo-ridian who drives a car, move to the Senate floor." The bill would reduce the annual cost to register a motor vehicle by $12. Those fees were increased in the 2009 session as part of a deal to close a budget gap; Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said the new bill would roll back the four-year-old hike by 55 percent. In return, insurance companies would lose a premium tax credit of up to 15 percent of the salaries they pay to Flor-ida-based employees. Doing away with the tax credit will raise about $231 million a year, according to the commit-tee's estimates, which will cover the projected $224 million cost of rolling back the fees. But the bill faces strong resistance from the insurance in-dustry and business groups. Associated Industries of Flor-ida has started airing a television ad calling the insurance credit "the Working Tax Cut" and urging senators to vote against it. House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, told reporters late Wednesday that the bill would need to be assigned to a committee because there isn't a counterpart in the House. Few committees are scheduled to meet again in the legislative session, which is set to last for about two more weeks, but Weatherford noted he could call a meeting if he needed to. Supporters of the credit said it could cost the state jobs, though they concede that taxes are just one aspect of a company's decision when it comes to where to locate call centers and other offices. "The bigger factor may be the negative message that the elimination of the salary credit will send to insurers and other businesses considering a move to Florida or some other state," said Paul Sanford, a lobbyist for the Florida Insurance Council. Sen. Garrett Richter, the Naples Republican who was the only vote against the bill, also backed the notion that the bill could set the state back as it continues to recover from the Great Recession. "We must create more jobs, and eliminating job incentives
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is not the way to accomplish that priority," he said. But other Republicans said the state had already done quite a bit to help insurance companies, including over-hauling the state's medical malpractice laws in recent years. "I will continue to do everything I can to have a viable in-surance industry in the state of Florida," said Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine. MENTALLY ILL GUN LOOPHOLE BILL ADVANCES A bill seeking to strengthen the ban on firearm sales to mentally ill people overwhelmingly passed the House on Wednesday, though it still needs Senate approval. The measure (HB 1355), which is backed by the NRA, would prevent gun sales to people who have voluntarily commit-ted themselves for treatment. Currently, those who volun-tarily seek mental health help don't face any restrictions on gun purchases once they leave treatment. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Watson, D-Miami Gardens, passed the House 117-1. GUN TOTING TEACHER BILL ADVANCES A bill that would allow school principals to designate a dis-
trict employee to carry a concealed gun on school grounds in an effort to bolster security cleared the House Judiciary Committee, readying the bill for the House floor. The bill (HB 1097) passed 11-7 over the objection of school boards and district officials who don't want more guns on campuses. "School boards support armed, trained police officers in schools," and want more money for that, Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, told the panel. "We hope to have an officer, deputy or marked car out in front of every school....But this bill sends the wrong message. Our young people will go out on the street and they will say .... 'My teacher has a gun, why can't I have a gun too?'" Juhan Mixon, of the Association of School Administrators, said the association surveyed its members and they were overwhelmingly op-posed to the bill. The PTA and the ACLU also oppose the measure. The bill is a response to the Newtown, Conn. school shooting late last year. Sponsor Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, said he didn't know if an armed school em-ployee might have changed that tragedy. "They sure (would have) had a fighting chance," Steube said. The bill, which was approved earlier this year in an education sub-
committee, initially had three additional committees as-signed to hear it, but was withdrawn and sent only to Judi-ciary.
LAWMAKERS CALL FOR HEARINGS ON GUN-CONTROL BILLS
Two Miami Democrats called Tuesday for the Legislature to hear bills dealing with gun control before the 2013 ses-sion ends, with several of those filed in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings having gone nowhere. No one expects any major gun control legislation to pass in the GOP-controlled Legislature, but Rep. Cynthia Staf-ford said there should be at least a discussion of the is-sue. "In order to have the discussion, both sides need to be heard," Stafford said, joining Sen. Dwight Bullard in calling for several stalled bills to get a hearing. Legislation carried by Bullard in the Senate (SB 362) and Stafford in the House (HB 123) would change the 'stand your ground' self-defense law. Stafford said instead of al-lowing someone immunity to shoot when they feel threat-ened, the bill would require an overt aggressive act. "It's no longer 'I thought he or she looked dangerous,' or 'I thought I would be harmed or killed, so I used deadly force,'" she said. "This bill would help to eliminate those assumptions." The bill hasn't had a committee hearing in either chamber. Stafford and Bullard said they're frustrated by what they called a Republican-led blockade of gun-control bills. Republican Senate President Don Gaetz, however, said other Democrats have gotten controversial bills heard. He pointed to Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, whose do-mestic partnership bill got three hearings in the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee, which Sobel chairs, before passing on Monday. "The best advice I would give to Sen. Bullard is to just bear in mind that Republican Senate leadership is not tell-ing people what to put on an agenda," Gaetz said. "If he has a concern, he needs to go see the committee chair." Stafford and Bullard also called on Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the availability of black-market, military-style ammunition in urban neighborhoods. Bullard said some of his constituents were unable to leave their homes due to the violence around them. "There's a war going on outside," he said. "We're talking about drive-by (shootings) at one o'clock in the after-noon…children walking to school. We're talking about church services ending and within an hour, people are dead." Both Scott and Gaetz have pointed to Florida's crime rates, which are the lowest they've been in 41 years, as evidence that the state's approach is the right one. Bullard said the crime rate may be down overall, but in some parts of Florida, it's rampant. He also said the media aren't covering many of those stories.
SCOTT SIGNS FUNERAL PROTEST BAN Gov. Rick Scott's office said Thursday that earlier in the week he signed several pieces of legislation, including a ban on protesting within a certain distance of a funeral (HB 15). That measure creates a 500-foot no protest zone around any funeral, and had passed both the Senate and House unanimously. Most of the bills Scott signed Wednesday were minor or technical measures, many of them reauthorizing various trust funds and state compacts or adopting the current version of the statutes, for exam-ple. Scott on Wednesday publicly signed one bill (HB 155) that outlaws the gaming machines used at internet cafes, effectively shutting down the industry. ONLINE SALES TAX BILL MOVING IN SENATE Internet retailers would have to collect sales tax when Florida residents make online purchases and remit the money to the state under a bill that cleared a Senate com-mittee Thursday. The measure would offset the increased revenue brought in by the measure by lowering other taxes, including offer-ing a sales tax holiday for shoppers at brick and mortar stores. The "revenue neutral" offset provision helps Re-publican backers of the idea avoid any notion that the pro-posal is a tax increase, although they also claim that the bill simply modernizes the tax laws to require collection of money that should have been flowing into state coffers all along. In addition to offsetting new revenue through what would surely be a popular break from the sales tax, the bill (SB 316) also would lower the communications services tax rate. That tax is charged on things like telephone service, and cable and satellite TV. Bill sponsor Sen. Nancy Detert said Florida residents would notice their home Internet service would be cheaper, offsetting the additional cost of items purchased through that Internet connection. Online retailers like Amazon don't collect sales taxes on Florida purchases, even though Florida lawmakers say that technically, the purchases should be subject to the state's 6 percent sales and use tax. "It's something that we should have been collecting and haven't," said Detert, R-Venice. The bill is strongly supported by physical retailers who rely on non-Internet sales, who have claimed for years they're at a disadvantage because buyers would rather purchase items online to save sales tax. "This bill helps to support the bricks and mortar stores in our state," said Detert. "We're helping small business and we're helping with a tax refund to consumers." The bill passed 10-1 in the Senate Finance and Tax Sub-committee, with the lone no vote coming from the panel's chairwoman Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange. While voting for it, Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, questioned why lawmakers were insistent on offsetting the new revenue with other tax cuts. "This is money we're already due, so it shouldn't have to
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have an offset," Clemens said. But legislation that could be interpreted as raising taxes has never played well in the GOP-dominated Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott has begun a re-election campaign and is expected to be cool to anything opponents might portray as a tax increase. "We're doing a tax shift," in-sisted Detert. HELMET POLL Here is a online poll asking if "motorcyclist should have to wearhelmet ?" http://www.timesfreepress.com/polls/2013/apr/should-motorcyclists-have-wear-helmets/results/ I would like to thank whoever sent this in to us, but they did not put their name on the email..... Please remember to always sign your emails..... ANOTHER ONLINE HELMET POLL Here is another one of those instant online polls asking if motorcyclist should wear helmets. http://floridastategasprices.com/index.aspx?fuel=D SENATE VOTES TO LIMIT DRONES Police would have strict limits on when they could use un-manned aerial aircraft, known as drones, in Florida under legislation (SB 92) that passed the Senate unanimously on Wednesday. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, still needs House approval. Police would still be able to use drones if they get a warrant to do so. They'd also be able to use them in the event of a high risk of an imminent terrorist threat, or to prevent imminent danger to life, such as to facilitate the search for a missing person, to prevent serious damage to property, or to fore-stall the imminent escape of a suspect or the destruction of evidence. SCOTT SIGNS INTERNET CAFÉ BILL With little fanfare, Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday signed a bill (HB 155) to prohibit the electronic games used at Inter-net cafes and likely shut down the industry that critics have likened to "storefront casinos." The bill would not affect slot machines at state-approved pari-mutuel facili-ties and tribal casinos. The proposal was shepherded quickly through the Legislature after an investigation led to raids last month at Internet cafes across the state and the arrests of 57 people. The scandal also forced the resigna-tion of former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who in the past did consulting work for Allied Veterans of the World, a charity at the center of the investigation. 'STAND YOUR GROUND' SHIELDS CONVICTED FELON Though convicted felons are not supposed to carry fire-arms, a state appeals court Wednesday rejected argu-ments that a felon should not be able to use the "Stand Your Ground" law as a defense in a Lee County murder case. The 2nd District Court of Appeal sided with Aaron A. Little, who argued that he shot another man in self-defense during an altercation. Prosecutors contended that the "Stand Your Ground" law should not apply because Little was engaged in illegal activity --- he was a convicted felon carrying a firearm. The controversial "Stand Your
Ground" law allows people to use deadly force if they rea-sonably believe it is needed to prevent death of great bod-ily harm. But the appeals court said Little, who faced a second-degree murder charge, should be able to use the law. "His status as a felon in illegal possession of a fire-arm did not preclude that claim of immunity,'' the ruling said. "And …Little established by a preponderance of the evidence that his use of force was justified to prevent his imminent death or great bodily harm as provided (in the Stand Your Ground law)." The court, however, asked the Florida Supreme Court to consider the issue, a process known as certifying the issue to the high court. OH CANADIANS, DRIVE AWAY: Gov. Rick Scott will sign a bill repealing an international driving permit require-ment for foreign drivers today during a visit to the Florida Chamber of Commerce's International Days. The law, passed last year, was meant to help police be able to un-derstand drivers' documents, but Canadian snowbirds were caught off guard by the new requirement, and there were fears many wouldn't come to Florida. The repeal bill (HB 7059) was rushed through this year's legislative ses-sion. OUT-OF-STATE DISABLED VETS WELCOME: Disabled military veterans would no longer have to have been a Florida resident prior to joining the service to be eligible for a discount on property taxes under a commit-tee bill (SPB 7032) before the Senate Military and Veter-ans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Committee on Tuesday. FROM THE AMA..... On May 6, U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) will in-troduce the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act. The bill will protect motorcyclists’ rights and promote crash pre-vention as the most effective use of taxpayer money to save motorcyclists’ lives. Sensenbrenner is currently seek-ing to add original cosponsors before the introduction of the bill. The bill incorporates Sensenbrenner’s legislation (H.R. 904) introduced in the previous Congress. H.R. 904 would prohibit the U.S. Department of Transportation from pro-viding funds to state and local authorities for the purpose of creating motorcycle-only checkpoints. However, this bill also contains language to force the DOT to focus motorcycle safety efforts on crash prevention pro-grams. The Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act amends Section 153 of Title 23, United States Code, by removing “motorcycle helmets.” This change will prohibit the DOT from providing grants to a state to enforce helmet laws. It will also prohibit the DOT from interfering in state matters with federal funds. For many years, the American Motorcyclist Association has strongly encouraged the voluntary use by adult riders of helmets certified by their manufacturers to meet the DOT standard as part of a comprehensive motorcycle
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Membership Report
Submitted by
Moe Moser, Membership Trustee
We’re now through the second month of our three-month membership drive and contest. So far, 29 new members have been recruited! Please try to re-cruit at least one new member during the month of May to be eligible for the drawing. The winner will get a large chapter patch and dining gift certifi-cates.
Welcome to all our new members! The following were inadvertently omitted from last month’s Newsletter:
Steve Caserman Shelly Caserman Ashleigh Dempsey Douglass Loccisano
And for April: Gary Nelson Philip Provost Susan Schmidt
Albert White Stephanie Nichols Shannon Danielle McCarty Adolfo Ayes April Ritter Chet Mainer Jamie Goldberg Ross Goldberg Carla Thibodeau
Due to renew in April: Ken Coon Harry Hudson Eric Malasky Robert Speakman Sally Tietz
Due to renew in May: Mark Bolton Todd Burns Tom Conlon Jon Houghten Ray Kuczera Joe Minnelle Keith Osborn Ed Reilly
Scott Schuette Daniella Souza Hector Valdes
Please renew your membership when it comes due. We cannot afford to lose a single voice in our fight for motorcy-clists’ rights. Surely your freedom is worth $20 a year!
Renewals expire the last day of your month. Membership applications can be picked up at local motorcycle shops through-out Lee County and many offer dis-counts to ABATE Members (just show your card) and at our Tuesday Bike Night at The Joint in Cape Harbor from 6p-9p
Membership Is $20.00 per year or a life membership for $150.00. Member-ship includes a $4,000.00 accidental death or dismemberment policy, local discount with participating businesses and a VOICE to be counted as a mem-ber of a Motorcycle Rights Organiza-tion (MRO) to make roads safer and drivers accountable for their actions.
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ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC. SOUTHWEST CHAPTER GENERAL MEETING HARLEY DAVIDSON, FT. MYERS 4/7/2013 CALLED TO ORDER AT: 10:14am.
Anyone besides the Sec taking notes? No Please silence Cell phones. Salute flag/Prayer/Welcome Guests/new members
PRESIDENTS REPORT: WAYNE CERRA 1. Certificate, Ken Miller, Legislative Trustee. 25yrs 2. Bike Week winner, LEE JOHNSON OF OR-ANGE PARK, FL 3. Tallahassee, need delegates 4. May is Nat. Motorcycle Safety month. Procla-mations from Ft Myers and CC VICE PRESIDENT: JIMMIE DENNIS 1. Cape Coral Bike night Saturday April 13th, need support 2. Bears for Bears, 2 events April 20th Sun Sports and May 26 @ HD w/Sheriff Dept We need people to man tables. Collection boxes need to be obtained and set out 3. Leesburg Bike week April 27 – 28 4. Jimmie will be getting boxes for Bears for Bears. If you have a business and would like one let him know. If you would like one but cant get it let us know and we will bring it to you.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: TRACY DAVIS 1. Motion to accept last month’s minutes as writ-ten in the newsletter made by Brett seconded by Carl.
TREASURERS REPORT: TODD “KC” BURNS 1. Motion to accept last month’s report made by Lynn seconded by Ray.
SARGENT AT ARMS: KEN “DIESEL” COON 1. No incidents to report
MEMBERSHIP REPORT: MOE MOSER 1. New member 17 Renewals 2 Membership is
250+ 2. Membership drive is from March 1,2013 – May 3, 2013. Bring is 5 or more members and get your dues paid for the next year. Also we will be hav-ing a drawing for winners and different prizes will be offered.
ADVERTISING: FRED GLENNON 1. We still need more advertisers. If you have
someone in mind and don’t want to go yourself. Shoot Fred an email. 2. Some of our advertisers do offer members of Abate 10% discounts. They are Sun Sports, SW Cy-cles, House of Trikes, Palleden Cycle. Those are just a few.
NEWSLETTER & FLYERS: BARBARA “BABS” BARDELL 1. Anyone who would like to submit an article please see me, we are open to member articles approved by the board, classifieds. Email them to me.
WEBSITE: TAYLOR “ATM” MUSBURGER 1. Absent, still making improvements on the Chapter Website.
SAFETY DIRECTOR: VIC PIORKOWSKI 1. Need members list of those who want to be cer-tified
PRODUCTS: WAYNE CERRA 1. T-shirts & Patches putting an order in Monday.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT: KEN “TEDDYBEAR” MILLER 1. In the newsletter. DELEGATE REPORT: No meeting last month, no report
ROAD CAPTAIN: SCOTT TURNER 1. Today’s lunch ride if to Low Key Tiki in St James City. 2. Next dinner ride will be to Nervous Nellies on Ft Myers beach.
OLD BUSINESS: 1. Petition To be included in the Florida budget to receive funds for MSAP 2. Billboards cancelled, but will go forward with discounted price 3. State meeting, June 8th NEW BUSINESS: 1. Nominations
GOOD OF THE ORDER 1. We have 2 people that can do patches for us. Tonia Fisher who is a new member and Joker @ Purr Performance. 2. Smokey is still in the hospital and still out of it but doing ok. Benefit next Sunday at Crazy Olive, come out and show your support. 3. Marsha Penn(Burnout’s wife) not doing so good with her cancer. Stop by and say Hi. TIME OF ADJOURNMENT: 11:45am
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DOT standard as part of a comprehensive motorcycle safety program to help reduce injuries and fatalities in the event of a motorcycle crash. However, helmet mandates do not prevent crashes. The AMA believes that comprehensive motorcycle safety pro-grams must promote strategies that are designed to pre-vent motorcycle crashes from occurring in the first place. Current law states highway safety plans must prevent crashes and reduce injuries. The Stop Motorcycle Check-point Funding Act would require highway safety plans to include programs that “prevent accidents in order to re-duce injuries and deaths resulting from accidents involving motor vehicles and motorcycles” by amending Section 402 of Title 23, United States Code. Historically, the enforcement of helmet mandates has si-phoned away scarce funds from effective crash prevention programs such as rider education and motorist aware-ness. This bill is critical to ending the discriminatory practice of MOCs and saving motorcyclists’ lives. The motorcycling community needs you to contact your representative now to ask them to become an original cosponsor. Just follow the "Take Action" option to send a pre-written email di-rectly to your representative. To view the AMA's efforts to end motorcycle-only check-points, go to ht tp: / /capwiz.com/amacycle/ut r/1/EYQGSZAJUK/AEQYSZAJZW/9479071421. Please join the AMA to help us fight to end motorcycle-only checkpoints. More members means more clout against our opponents, and your support will help the AMA fight for your rights – on the road, trail, racetrack, and in the halls of government. FROM THE MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION, WASHINGTON, D.C. ABATE releases multi-year motorcycle fatality analysis, calls for increased education, enforce-ment and penalties. With one of the longest and hottest riding seasons on re-cord, higher gas prices and a slight increase in motorcy-cles registrations, 2012 saw a small increase in motorcy-cle fatalities with over half of those being fatalities being riders not endorsed to operate a motorcycle. The year also saw an increase in motorcycle tourism since the enactment of the rider choice law on April 12, 2013 allowing adults to choose whether or not they want to wear a helmet. Recently, reports from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) analyzing the fatality and fatality rate increases since the helmet choice law went into effect have been presented in an erroneous and biased manner. "Our primary concern about the accuracy of the data from OHSP is that two single points of data are being com-pared, when a multi-year comparison will give the clearest and most accurate depiction of motorcycle fatalities," said
Vince Piacenti, Statistician, for ABATE Michigan. "The average fatality rate on motorcycles from 2005 - 2011 is 119.7 with a standard deviation (sigma) of 8.4. Standard practice is to add +/- 3 sigma to be statistically significant. This means that the normal year-to-year fatality rate can vary from 95 to 145. Anything within this range is normal variation; the fatalities would have to be above 145 or be-low 95 to make a statement with statistical confidence. Fatalities in 2012 were 129, which fall within the normal range of variation and proves conclusively that the helmet-law amendment has had no adverse effect on motorcycle safety." What should concern the Michigan State Police, OSHP and the public is the fact that more than half of the fatali-ties involved riders NOT endorsed to drive a motorcycle. "Losing a member of our motorcycle family is devastating. To know that a death could be prevented from motorcycle education and increased enforcement from State Police is unimaginable. Our mission at American Bikers Aiming To-ward Education, or ABATE Michigan, as we approach Mo-torcycle Safety Awareness month in May is motorcycle safety. ABATE encourages the Michigan State Police to be proactive this coming riding season by focusing on car driver/motorcyclists awareness and motorcycle educa-tion," added Vince Consiglio, President, ABATE of Michi-gan. "But we also want to make sure those that ride with-out an endorsement face stiffer fines and we also support limiting Temporary Instructional Permits (TIP) to two per adult. If you need more than two TIPs, you shouldn't be riding." Because more than half of Michigan motorcycle fatalities are unlicensed-or unendorsed- motorcyclists, ABATE's goal in teaching motorcycle rider education classes and going into the drivers' education classrooms is to ensure that everyone arrives home safely. "A motorcyclists has a responsibility to know how to han-dle his or her bike," Consiglio added. "However, a motor-cyclist is much more vulnerable than a passenger vehicle occupant in the event of a crash. The majority of Michigan 2012 fatalities were wearing helmets." A motorcycle endorsement on a driver's license is re-quired by law to ride on public roads and can be obtained by attending and passing a motorcycle rider education class, which are available statewide for a fee. A list of Secretary of State approved Michigan Motorcycle Safety Program instructors, along with their locations and contact information can be found the Secretary of State's website. ABATE Michigan supports public and private rider educa-tion. A current list of ABATE Michigan motorcycle rider educa-tion classes locations and times can be found on ABATE Michigan's website. On April 12, 2012 the requirement for motorcycle helmets was amended to allow adult choice for motorcyclists 21 and older, providing they completed an accredited motor-cycle-safety course or had a minimum of 2 years riding experience.
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"Our members have reported an increase in motorcycle tourism since the enactment of the rider choice law," said Scott Ellis, Executive Director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, which represents more than 1,800 restaurants, bar, party store, hotel, and casino establish-ments across the state. "From Monroe to Muskegon to the Keweenaw Peninsula, more out-of-state motorcyclists are stopping, staying and spending money at our restaurants, hotels and attractions." At least 20 different state license plates were counted on motorcycles at last year's sixth annual Muskegon Bike Time. With the increase in participants, planners are al-ready concerned how many bikes and vendors can fit in the downtown area for this year's event. ABATE is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserv-ing the overall rights and promoting the safe operating practices of all Michigan motorcyclists. ABATE Michigan has partnered with public schools and private driving instructors to teach more than 75,000 new drivers about motorcycle awareness, using resources do-nated by ABATE members. Motorcycle Only Checkpoint Bill To Be Dropped The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) reports, Con-gressman Jim Sensenbrenner from Wisconsin, an-nounced Monday, April 15th that he will file a bill to pro-hibit the federal funding of motorcycle only roadside checkpoints. Sensenbrenner had this to say in a "Dear Colleague" that is circulating in the House of Representatives. "In the 112th Congress, I introduced H.R. 904, a bill to prohibit the Department of Transportation (DOT) from providing funds to state and local authorities for the purpose of cre-ating motorcycle only checkpoints. Section 1 of the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act contains the same language as H.R. 904. However, this bill also contains language to force the DOT to focus motorcycle safety ef-forts on crash prevention programs, not national helmet mandates." The bill will officially be introduced on May 6, 2013 and get its official bill number then. However, we must start the push now. It's important to contact your sitting member of the House of Representatives and ask them to be an origi-nal cosponsor of this important legislation. Ask them to contact Congressman James Sensenbrenner and lend their support. An "Original Cosponsor" is someone who supports the bill before it is made public and is a way to strongly support a new bill. The more original cosponsors the better. You can contact the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 The entire text of the Dear Colleague and the Bill are be-low. STOP MOTORCYCLE CHECKPOINT FUNDING Dear Colleague:
On May 6, I will introduce a bill to protect motorcy-clists' rights and promote crash prevention as the most effective use of taxpayer money to save motorcyclists'
lives. I ask for your support as an original cosponsor of the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act.
In the 112th Congress, I introduced H.R. 904, a bill to prohibit the Department of Transportation (DOT) from providing funds to state and local authorities for the purpose of creating motorcycle only checkpoints. Section 1 of the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act contains the same language as H.R. 904. However, this bill also contains language to force the DOT to focus motorcycle safety efforts on crash prevention programs, not national helmet mandates.
Section 3 of the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act amends Section 153 of Title 23 USC by re-moving "motorcycle helmets" from the title. This change will prohibit the DOT from providing grants to a State to enforce helmet laws. This will stop the DOT from manipu-lating State policies with federal money.
Section 4 of this bill amends Section 402 of Title 23 USC. Current law states that highway safety plans must prevent accidents and reduce injuries. The Stop Mo-torcycle Checkpoint Funding Act would require highway safety plans to include programs that prevent accidents in order to reduce injuries and deaths resulting from acci-dents involving motor vehicles and motorcycles. This small change will make a significant impact because it highlights that preventing accidents is the best way to save motorcyclists' lives. Please contact Todd Washam ([email protected] to cosponsor this bill. I look forward to your support on this important issue. Sincerely, F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. MEMBER OF CONGRESS A BILLto stop motorcycle checkpoint funding, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-tives of the United States of America in Congress assem-bled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ''Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act''. SEC. 2. GRANT RESTRICTION. The Secretary of Transportation may not provide a grant or any funds to a State, county, town, or township, Indian tribe, municipal or other local government to be used for any program to check helmet usage or create checkpoints for an operator of motorcycle or passenger on a motorcy-cle. SEC. 3. MOTORCYCLE SAFETY. Section 153 of title 23, United States Code, is amended- (1) in the section heading by striking ''and motorcycle hel-mets''; (2) in subsection (a) by striking ''such fiscal year-'' and everything that follows through ''(2) a law'' and inserting ''such fiscal year a law''; (3) in subsection (b) by striking ''State laws'' each place it appears and inserting ''a State law'';
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(4) in subsection (f) by amending paragraphs(2) and (3) to read as follows:
''(2) SECOND-YEAR GRANTS.-A State is eligible for a grant under this section in a fiscal year succeeding the first fiscal year in which a State receives a grant under this section only if the State in the preceding fiscal year had in effect at all times a State law described in subsection (a) and achieved a rate of compliance with such law of not less than 50 percent.
''(3) THIRD-YEAR GRANTS.-A State is eligible for a grant under this section in a fiscal year succeeding the second fiscal year in which a State receives a grant under this section only if the State in the preceding fiscal year had in effect at all times a State law described in subsection (a) and achieved a rate of compliance with such law of not less than 70 percent.''
SEC. 4. HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS. Section 402(a)(2)(A) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking clause(iv) and inserting the following: ''(iv) to prevent accidents in order to reduce injuries and
deaths resulting from accidents involving motor vehicles and motorcycles;''.
House Committee Approves Ethanol Study Bill
The United States House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology approved a bill that would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a comprehensive study on the E-15 gasoline fuel blends. The committee approved the bill, HR 875, by a vote of 18-17.
Committee Chairman had this to say, "Time and again, we see instances where American businesses are unneces-sarily harmed by the EPA's regulatory and political agenda." Both the American Petroleum Institute and the Environmental Working Group, two organizations that do not often agree, back Mr. Sensenbrenner's E15 bill. The American Automobile Association (AAA), as well as groups representing snowmobile, boat and motorcycle owners also support the bill. Motorcycle champion, James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), authors HR 875.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation encourages you to contact your U.S. Representative and ask them to co-sponsor this important legislation. You can reach the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself. -- Mark Twain
See you in the wind, ‘TEDDYBEAR’
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Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-79, Chair T. Wayne Miller Jr. Building, 15191 Homestead Rd. Lehigh Acres, Fl. 33971. Phone: (239) 694-0161 E-Mail: [email protected] Legislative Assistant: Charlotte Gammie
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-30, Vice Chair 1926 Victoria Ave., 2nd Floor, Ft. Myers, Fl. 33901 Phone: (239) 338-2570 E-Mail: [email protected] Legislative Assistant: Matthew Hunter, Tiffany Edwards, Lynda Fino, Tamara Holliday
Sen. Garrett Richter, R-23 32999 E. Tamiami Trail, Suite 203, Naples, Fl. 34112-4961 Phone: (239) 417-6205 E-Mail: [email protected] Legislative Assistant: Becky Kokkinos, Michael Nachef, Sandra Mummert
Rep. Dane Eagle, R-77 1039 SE 9th Place, Room 310, Cape Coral, Fl. 33990 Phone: (239) not yet determined E-Mail: [email protected] Legislative Assistant: Paige Biagi. District: Bradley Davidson
Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-78 2120 Main St., Ft. Myers, Fl. 33901. Phone: (239) 533-2440 E-Mail: [email protected] Legislative Assistant: Edward Metzger. District: Christine Deramo
Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-76 Alico Lake Commons, 17595 S. Tamiami Tr., Suite 218 Fort Myers, Fl. 33908. Phone: (239) 433-6501 E-Mail: [email protected] Legislative Assistant: James Mullen. District: Jasmine Villanueva
Office of Governor Rick Scott State of Florida The Capitol 400 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Phone: (850) 488-7146 E-Mail: www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott
Office of Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll State of Florida The Capitol 400 S. Monroe St.. PL-05, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Telephone: (850) 488-4711. Facsimile: (850) 921-6114 E-Mail: www.ltgov.com/ContactUs.html
Florida Senate Web site: www.flsenate.gov Office of Senate President Don Gaetz 404 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 Phone: (850) 487-5229 E-Mail: [email protected] Chief of Staff: Chris Clark Florida House of Representatives Web site: www.myfloridahouse.gov The Honorable Will Weatherford, Speaker Florida House of Representatives 402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 Phone: (850) 717-5038 E-Mail: [email protected] Legislative Assistant: Joy Hampton, Ralph Lair United States Senate (www.senate.gov) Nelson, Bill - (D - FL) 716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-5274 Web Form: www.billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm Rubio, Marco - (R - FL) 317 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-3041 Web Form: www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact United States House of Representatives (www.house.gov) U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R, FL-17 Washington DC Office 221 Cannon HOB, Washington, DC 20515 p (202) 225-5792, f (202) 225-3132 Punta Gorda Office 226 Taylor Street, Suite 230, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 p (941) 575-9101, f (941) 575-9103 Contact Congressman Rooney through his Congressional web site. U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R, FL-19 Washington DC Office 1123 Longworth HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515 p (202) 225-2536 Cape Coral District Office 804 Nicholas Pkwy, East, Suite 1, Cape Coral, Fl. 33990 p (239) 573-5837 Contact Congressman Radel through his Congressional web site
Florida’s Lee County Legislative Delegation
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NEXT CHAPTER MEETING JUNE 2ND
Our Caring Circle
Please keep in your
thoughts & prayers the
following members and
their loved ones.
Marsha Penn
Smokey Clark
Lily Arenas
MAY 5TH, 2013
They who can give up essential liberty
to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- Benjamin Franklin
April Chapter Meeting Harley Davidson
of Fort Myers Ride out to
Saint James City To Low Key Tiki
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SOUTHWEST CHAPTER NEWS PAGE 35
