Helmet law roll-back stalls in Senate committee
On May 7, 1996, AB 244 received only two of the five votes it needed from the Senate transportation committee to continue its forward progress. The bill, which would remove the helmet use requirements for those 21 and older, may be brought up for reconsideration before August 1. After the hearing, Mike Osborn, chairman of ABATE's political action committee and bill supporter, said, "We need to decide whether we want to keep pushing on this or focus all our resources on the elections this November."
Voting for passage were Richard Monteith (R-Merced/Modesto) and David Kelley (R-San Diego/Palm Desert). Republican Newton Russell, who had voted against the current law, surprised AB 2454 sponsors by voting against passage of this modification bill. Russell will be forced from office this year due to term limits.
Voting against passage of AB 244 were committee chairman Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco), Ruben Ayala (D-Rancho Cucamonga), Daniel Boatwright (D-Concord), Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles) and Patrick Johnson (D-Sacramento/Stockton). Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles) abstained.
Those testifying for the bill included Rob Rasor, who heads the government relations department for the American Motorcyclists Association; Assembly Member Bill Morrow, bill author; Paul Lax, executive director of ABATE; and Mike Osborn, Chairman, ABATE PAC. Also testifying for the bill were Shannon Laughy, an orthopedic technician whose neck was broken by a helmet during a motorcycle accident, and Hy Weitzman, who represented the only commercial interest, the California Motorcycle Dealers Association.
Those testifying against AB 244 included Richard Quigley of the Helmet Law Defense League; Dick Floyd, author of the current helmet law; and Bob Terry, Floyd's technical consultant. Taxpayer-funded state agencies testifying against the bill were the Department of Health Services, the Department of Mental Health, the Office of Traffic Safety, and the California Highway patrol. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also a taxpayer-funded organization, testified against the bill as well.
In addition, accident victim and professional lobbyist Steve Lambert testified against AB 244, along with numerous medical professionals including several doctors, and neurosurgeon, a neurologist, and a professor of medical economics from the University of California at San Francisco. The funding sources for these individuals are not clear. Organizations funded by their membership and represented by professional lobbyists appearing in opposition to AB 244 included the Insurance Federation of California, the California Medical Association, and the Southern California Automobile Association. Also testifying against AB 244 was Mary Price, whose son died in an accident. Whether Price is paid to testify remains unclear.
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