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"All Verbiage and Images are the Intellectual Property of the US Defenders - All Rights Reserved" |
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Legislative Day Other Links: Bikers in the Capitol 2011 By US National C.O.I.R. Commander - Suds Completing Sputniks dream By Texas Lt. Commander US Defenders - Steve "Dozer" Cochran
Photo’s by Tom Zimmer Speeches were Given by the US Defenders/COIR, Austin COC&I, and TMRA2. Paul Landers went over the talking points for Monday and introduced John Bush with Texans for Accountable Government. who is providing the language for the Fusion Bill that we are introducing. We are asking Senator Shapiro to introduce the bill. There are approximately 60 "fusion centers" nationwide, with some focusing exclusively on criminal activity, others on both criminal and terrorist threats and some on very specific acts, such as human smuggling, gang activity, online predators or drug trafficking.
Photo’s by Tom Zimmer
Here in Texas there have been numerous reports of Law Enforcement stopping bikers, photographing their tattoos and patches and putting the information in the Fusion data base even if they are not suspected of a crime. To stop this, we want to introduce a bill which basically requires a privacy policy for all fusion centers in Texas that reads, “A project shall not collect or maintain criminal intelligence information about the political, religious or social views, associations, or activities of any individual association, corporation, business, partnership, or other organization unless such information directly relates to criminal conduct or activity and there is reasonable suspicion that the subject of the information is or may be involved in criminal conduct or activity.” We are in the process of working with Texans for Accountable Government. (T.A.G) to make this happen so bikers will stop being harassed for no reason. After the speeches everyone headed back into the VFW for a great Auction put on by Bear Prince, Lost Inc MC and North Houston Liberty Riders to help fund the parking. The Auction went over good and we would like to thank everyone who donated auction items and who bid on them. After everything was over, many of the bikers headed out to the various bikers hang outs to eat drink and be merry.
Photo’s by Tom Zimmer
Monday morning everyone was up at the crack of dawn where the bikers of Texas met up again at the VFW for the ride in. The weather was perfect, the bikers were in a good mood, and there was a very high energy of excitement in the air as we rode towards the capitol steps. They could hear us coming four blocks away down I-35 one bike after another. There were Independents, Sport bike Clubs, Riding
Associations, MRO’s, Christian Motorcycle Ministry’s, and every club you could think of all marching to the same beat up to the capitol steps together behind the Flag Core and our Leaders.
Bikers Head to Capitol to Talk to Legislators: My Fox News
The other issues that we spoke to the representatives and senators were:
Share the Road Money: TxDot’s Traffic Safety Program is supposed to be implementing a motorcycle Share the Road campaign in the spring of 2011 (per sb1967). This will be a state effort using TV, radio, outdoor advertising, interactive media, social media and other outreach. The current planned budget for the campaign will be approximately $1.5 million consisting of about $1 million in federal funding and more than $500,000 in local match. Currently the bid for the PSA’s went to Sherry Matthews Advocacy marketing
http://www.sherrymatthews.com/. No other motorcycle groups or agencies were notified by TXDot that the bid was going to the Mathews Group. Nor does anyone outside of TxDot know how the money will be spent. Please ask you representatives to look into how much money has been received by TxDot for the Share the Road program. Why the bid was given to one company without allowing others to bid on the project and why was the money not spent in June of 2010 when TXDot said they would start the PSA programs.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/safety/tips/motorcycles.htm HB 439 and SB288 Road Blocks/Check Points: Road Blocks:
We are working to keep any such Bill from passing into law during the next session. The practice of setting up barricades on roads to stop and interrogate motorists suspected of no wrongdoing has been unlawful since a 1994 state appeals court decision ruled that a "politically accountable governing body at the state level" must first approve their use. The bill would add (literally) a new chapter to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure entitled “Sobriety Checkpoints”. This bill will authorize the police to stop vehicles without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Law Enforcement will be able to stop you for any reason or for no reason at all. They will then be allowed, after the fact, to “develop” probable cause to believe that an offense has been committed. In addition, once stopped at a road block or check point the officer is at liberty to charge anyone in the vehicle with any crime they choose. A drunk passenger could be charged with public intoxication despite the driver being sober thereby nullifying the designated driver plan.
Budget: Senator Kirk Watson has plans to clean up the budget. This directly effect’s our
AGAINST- SB288 Author Lucio-Border check points Relating to authorizing the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas to investigate the feasibility of and cooperate in the establishment of southbound checkpoints along the international border of this state. INTERNATIONAL BORDER CHECKPOINTS.
Photo’s by Tom Zimmer
We will be giving updates all through the session on the bills we are tracking and on the Fusion bill that will be introduced. US Defenders National Lt. Commander TMRA2 State Chairman |
