State Coordinator's Report | |
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Well, here we go. Another year has started, and we have a few things to cover.
501c3 - I intended to get you the articles of incorporation and new bylaws for a vote at the January BOD; however, I don’t have them back from the attorney, so that will have to wait for the next BOD in March. This has been a long process, and the bylaws committee and I are trying to do things correctly the first time. So, Be prepared for the new bylaws and articles of incorporation in March.
Raffles for 2024 - I am working with the Gambling Commission to see if they support us doing a raffle in 2024. Yes, we have a gambling permit. However, they can pull our permit if they don’t believe we are taking steps to change to a 501c3. I don’t want to go through the expense of the raffle if it is going to be stopped in the process or have to go back and refund everyone who purchased tickets—a nightmare. I have an email from the gambling commission, and we will be doing a raffle this year. We will be doing one raffle with three motorcycle prizes. Thank you to Apple State Harley for your partnership on this project. More to come shortly.
We have several events this spring, and I encourage you to get involved with each of them. Black Friday is the first of those events. Please get in touch with your legislator and come down on Friday to participate. If a call to action comes out, contact your legislator regarding that call to action.
A group is trying to start the Olympia chapter back up under new leadership and direction. I look forward to seeing them succeed.
The SWAP meet is coming out in March if you have a vendor or your chapter would like to have a booth please come up and have a great time. This is a well-attended event and will be a great one this year.
Happy New Year to you all. I wish you all a safe and happy new year.
Click here to read my full letter.
Andy McAfee
State Coordinator
ABATE of Washington
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Black Friday is coming on January 19th, 2024!
I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday and Welcome to 2024!
The Black Friday Committee has been putting our collective minds together to ensure a solid Black Friday on January 19th, 2024.
Chapter LAOs and those making appointments with representatives are asked to email their appointment times to [email protected].
To learn more about the events for the day click here.
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United we can support Freedom of Choice. Learn more about Black Friday here. | |
We are in need of a new State Products Coordinator. If interested, please contact Bubba Bowen at [email protected]. A special thank you to Cheryl Holtquist for all her hard work. | |
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Thanks to all of you who have submitted articles, chapter reports, and photographs for our Freedom Newsletter.
I will send an email confirmation of each submission I receive. If you do not receive written confirmation from me, the submission did not arrive as planned. Please reach out to me so that I can ensure your submission is included in the next month's newsletter. I will respond with an email confirmation. As always, thank you for sending your submissions by the 15th of each month.
With respect and gratitude,
Shari Carlsberg
ABATE Freedom Newsletter Editor
[email protected]
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MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION | |
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The MRF in the Sunshine State
The 2024 Motorcycle Riders Foundation Roadshow commenced with a meeting between President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard and ABATE of Florida. ABATE of Florida appointed a new MRF Florida State Representative during the session.
The expansion of MRF's presence in Florida is crucial, given the state's significant political influence with twenty-eight members in the U.S. House of Representatives and over 600,000 registered motorcycles.
Read the full story here.
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Major Tesla Recall Announced
Tesla announced a recall of more than two million vehicles over concerns its “Autopilot” system can be misused by drivers. This announcement comes as part of a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into crashes by Tesla vehicles.
The MRF will continue fighting to ensure the safety of bikers is not ignored in the push to deploy this recent technology on our nation’s roadways.
Read the full story here.
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Six Advocates Step Up
Six long-time motorcyclist rights advocates and Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) members were recently selected as members of the ”Community of Practice” groups, updating federal motorcycle safety guidelines.
The primary focus of their work will be updating three documents: The National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS), Model National Standards for Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training (Content Standards), and Model National Administrative Standards for State Motorcycle Rider Training Programs (Administrative Standards).
Learn More.
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“Texas” Larry Walker
Legislative Affairs Officer, ABATE of WA
360-271-9285
Background:
“Texas” Larry Walker is a nationally certified Rider Coach for novice, intermediate, and advanced training. He is the Senior Instructor for Navy Region Northwest, a long-time motorcyclist rights advocate with over 45 years of riding experience.
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Black Friday is Coming!
As I indicated last month, things are still up in the air about how we are to move forward with the lane-sharing issue. Right now, everything is written on an Etch-a-Sketch.
We are beginning to get a potential list of wonderful speakers for the rally on the steps, but with schedules continually shifting the list will not be finalized before the session begins. The best way to find out who is speaking is to get yourself to Olympia and see in person, you will not be disappointed! It is a totally legit reason to take a personal day (or maybe call in sick 😉) to take personal responsibility for the job of protecting our passion for motorcycles. You will be doing something that a vast majority of people have never done.
In the meantime, keep setting up your appointments for Black Friday, and make sure to send your scheduling information to the Black Friday Committee at [email protected].
The committee is keeping track of what coverage we have in place, so they need your input. That also goes if you are meeting with your legislators in the district. If your legislator is not covered, but you cannot make it to town, ask if you can set up an appointment for me to cover. If you do opt for that option make sure that you get that information in to the Black Friday Committee and let me know. (My email is [email protected] and my phone number is 360-271-9285) I can juggle a lot of running chainsaws, but I need to know that they are there.
See y’all on the 19th.
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American Income Life - FREE Accidental Life & Dismemberment | |
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If you are a current non-expired member of ABATE of Washington, you will be receiving, or have already received a ‘beneficiary card’ in the mail from American Income Life (AIL).
These cards are mailed out annually to ABATE members as a reminder to update your beneficiary or add some ‘life insurance’ for yourself and/or your family. AIL provides a free ‘accidental death and dismemberment’ of up to $4000 to any non-expired ABATE member. What this means is: if you are involved in an accident and die or lose an arm/leg/eye, etc. AIL will pay you or your beneficiary up to $4000. AIL also offers other life insurance, and if you are interested in getting any type of life insurance or adding to what you already have, they can help you out.
What I’m asking of you members is, please, when they call, be considerate. They are just trying to do their jobs. If you are not interested in any other insurance, let them know and ask them to send you your certificate. If you would like to hear more about the insurance they provide, they will schedule a meet-up with you and give you other options. If you feel that you are being harassed after saying no, please get the person's name and phone number and send it to me.
I cannot stress enough about making sure your beneficiary is up to date with AIL or any other insurance policy you have. Finding out, after the fact, that someone you did NOT want to be the recipient of your demise is too late!
Please, this is a FREE benefit that AIL provides to non-expired ABATE Members, be courteous to them. Click here to read more.
Andy McAfee
State Coordinator
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Polar Bear Run
January 1, 2024
| CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER | |  |
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Meet Your Legislators
BLACK FRIDAY
January 19, 2024
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Sauce-Off Challenge
February 24, 2024
| CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER | | |
RIDER REIMBURSEMENT
Complete a State-Approved Rider Safety Course to receive $50 reimbursement & more!
CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER
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EPCC
Greetings from EPCC!
We joined SKCC for a joint Holiday Party on December 9th. Food, Fun, Family, and Fellowship. I hope you all had a wonderful time at your respective parties as well. On the other side of things, our hearts and condolences go out to Foothills Chapter, for the loss of their member. We wish you all love and joy for whatever holidays you celebrate, and a joyous and prosperous New Year. January 19th is Black Friday. I can't stress enough how important it is to get in touch with your legislators ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. It will really help when Black Friday comes around. Yes, Black Friday is about our legislators, but please, nurture a relationship with YOUR legislators. It helps when we tell them what we would like them to do for us. Black Friday is also about showing our presence as the motorcycle community. We are here. We are here to stay. If you can, PLEASE join us at the Capitol on January 19th.
Keep the rubber side down.
Joe Cain
EPCC
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COLUMBIA GORGE
Happy New Year greetings from the Columbia Gorge Chapter!
December was a whirlwind as we rallied to support our local community. Our efforts bore fruit as we extended Christmas meal vouchers to families in need and joyfully contributed gifts to families listed on the Angel tree. Giving back to our community holds deep significance for us; their steadfast support has fueled our chapter's many endeavors!
As we step into the new year, anticipation fills the air! Amidst the poker runs and rides scheduled for the upcoming months, we're thrilled to welcome fellow ABATE members to Goldendale, eager to showcase the exciting plans our chapter has charted for 2024.
READ MORE
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FOOTHILLS
Hello to everyone from Foothills.
Well, we kicked of the holidays this year with our annual Christmas party on 12/10/23 to absolute success. Lots of fun, great food and even better company was had by all.
Unfortunately, we lost a member of our family later that same night to a car accident. Rob Spivey unfortunately did not survive his injuries. His wife Judy did and is recovering from this. I know that the entire ABATE community will help with whatever she needs, because that's what we do. R.I.P. Rob.
On to other news: We will have participated in Wreaths Across America on 12/16, and our Terry Homes ride on 12/17 to deliver presents for Christmas to the residents. on January 6th we will be hosting BOD at the Buckley Eagles, and Black Friday is on Jan 19th. Happy Holidays from the Foothills clan. Be safe, and we will see you on the other side of the New Year.
Kirk Ball
Deputy Coordinator
210-845-3086
425-921-0027 (work)
[email protected]
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KEY PENINSULA
Greetings from the Pen! Been a great past week over here. Started Thursday night when we were finally able to make the donation from our Brewery Run. We gave a donation of $1161 to the fine and very appreciative folks at Key Peninsula Community Services.
At the same meetings, members of Band of Brothers MC attended, and they graciously made a donation to put towards the toy drive we have been working with North Kitsap on.
Then onto the weekend. We started Saturday morning by participating with other bike groups and neighbors in Wreaths Across America. Retsil Veterans Cemetery. Always a moving experience taking part as well as an opportunity to see old friends and get caught up.
From there we spent the rest of the day riding to all of our stops to pick up toy barrels we had placed for the community to partner with North Kitsap and us collecting toys for St. Michael’s medical center. Our efforts were rewarded handsomely with enough toys for them to have to give for the whole year. Sunday we delivered those toys and buried their tree again for another year. Very rewarding on a personal level being a part of this.
Until next month at Black Friday, Stay cool!
READ MORE & VIEW PHOTOS
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GRANT COUNTY
We are coming into a new year with a new outlook. Our meetings have now moved to Chicos Pizza in Moses Lake, our original meeting place when we started our chapter.
We are still meeting on the third Thursday of the month. Social hour is from 6 to 7 PM, and the meeting starts at 7 PM. On March 30, we will be doing our Easter bunny hunt in the Soap Lake community with the assistance of the local Chamber of Commerce.
Run to the desert will be, as always the end of August, and we will be back to the park on the lake in Soap Lake. There will be dry camping available in the actual park; information will be coming soon. We had a great work party to fix our office trailer, and next will be our Firework Stand. We also have a float trailer we hope to finish putting together in the spring. We wish you all happy holidays and safe travels.
Susan “Stars” Carson
Coordinator
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PACIFIC COUNTY
Well, we made it through Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and now it is political season.
Remember to mention to your Legislators that you are concerned about autonomous vehicles. Every time I meet a Tesla on the road, I wonder if the person behind the wheel is operating the car. Hope to see everybody at Black Friday.
John Tschannen
Coordinator
Pacific County Chapter
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SPANAWAY
Greetings from Spanaway Abate & Happy New Year!
Spanaway Abate had a busy December with the adoption of residents from Marymount Manor and Veterans from the Orting Soldiers Home. The joy on their faces receiving gifts, especially for them, is priceless. Taking a little bit of time to talk and listen makes their day, if not year. The gift requests are simple basic items; wheelchair gloves, battery’s, coloring books, colored pencils/pens, lap blankets, hats & warm gloves were a few. Thank you to B.U.M.A. for helping with the Veterans and Shauna Alexander & her tribe for a lot of the seniors. A huge shout-out to Pam Bugbee & Garry Crouse for their compassion in making sure no one is left out.
READ MORE
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SPOKANE
Spokane Chapter is hosting a Sauce Off on February 24, 2024. Everyone is welcome to come and enter. Entry is FREE. $20 a person for dinner. Come out and support the Spokane Chapter of Abate of Washington.
VIEW FLYER
Thank you,
Diana Picone
Coordinator Spokane Chapter
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STAR LAKE
Greetings everyone from Star Lake Chapter,
We had our Chapter meeting December 5th, 2023, at 11am. Kudos and big thanks to Jenny and Dave for hosting the meeting, providing breakfast and goodies. We discussed the Hopes Closet benefit event, which is on the ABATE calendar for June 1st,2024. The chapter discussed new business about doing a donation event for South King County Kinship program next year (TBD). The chapter discussed having another chapter ride later next year (TBD).
The next meeting will be on January 7th, 2024, at Purdy’s Public House at 10am. All are welcome to attend.
READ MORE
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Need to reach a specific Chapter?
Get their contact information here:
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Filling in the Blanks
Most people have a pretty clear memory of how they got hurt. Frequently their memories are punctuated with very specific details. “That son of a bitch looked me right in the eye before turning left.” “The front door mat was a bright pastel color.” “The impact made a sound just like an M-80 going off.” But when you go through something traumatic, like a motorcycle wreck, the brain isn’t focused on making memories—it’s focused on survival. The same mechanisms that keep the brain sharp enough to escape immediate danger may also make it harder to accurately recall the event.
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He Passed Me Going 90 MPH
In just about every motorcycle case we have there
are allegations that our client was speeding. There are a couple of important things to know about the issue of motorcycle speed. The first relates to the reliability of witness observations. The second deals with the way courts deal with favored drivers exceeding the speed limit.
Witnesses are almost always wrong about
motorcycle speed. It may be based on the relatively small size of motorcycles compared to other vehicles. Or it may be based on witness bias.
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Public Health and Relations Crisis
The concept of public health has really expanded. It used to focus on disease. Now it includes things like gun deaths. New York’s Governor recently declared
a gun violence disaster emergency. This new strategy treats gun violence as a public health crisis. We have a public health crisis of our own in Washington. It doesn’t have anything to do with guns. Or COVID-19. It has to do with motorcycles.
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What the Jury Doesn't Hear
The evidence rules have a big impact on what the jury gets to hear (and what it doesn’t get to hear). Evidence can seem a lot like an iceberg: 10 percent visible, 90 percent below the surface.
A lot of the evidence rules are counter-intuitive. Here’s what the jury doesn’t get to hear in a personal injury case:
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