Our Mission:
"To enhance motorcycle safety and awareness on Louisiana roadways through public awareness and education."

Minutes for 1/10/08

            I.                   Meeting to Order

      A.    Time:   9:48AM
B.     Opening Prayer by Charlotte Fabre              
C.     Colonel Champagne stated that he has been receiving support for the committee from the new government. We will now get the recognition for this committee that we should have had 4 years. All reasonable recommendations this committee comes up with will be answered favorably by the Governors office as long as we all work as a committee for the improvement of the motorcycling community.
D.    Chairman’s Opening Statement: Poet stated he was glad to see so many members here today. We have a new governor and a new year and the tools we need to accomplish what we need. We all need to work together as a committee even more this year if we are to make our state a better one for the motorcycling community.
E.      Assistant Chairman’s Opening Statement: He is glad to see so many people from different parts of the state today. He has also been getting a lot of positive feedback about the Motorcycle Summit in 2007. We now have all the steps down for the May as Motorcycle Month kick off but we need to get more entergy into it now. He introduced John Coliter who is an officer and with the Blue Knights. He is also a PGR member
F.      Committee Members Introduce Themselves: Warren Broussard, Doug Coles. Mike Jastram, Charlotte Fabre, Larry Ourso, Theresa Sullivan, Sgt Antoine Rodrigue Jr., Angie Womack-Jones, Ed Patterson, Jannie Markey, Ben Pressburg, Karla Sibille, Joe Spearman, Deborah Todd, Bryan Niebuhr, Dean Lawrence, John Cortez, Charlie Toth, David Evans, Colonel Champagne, Hank Temento. Perry, David Evans, John Colter, Poet Sisco, Kinky Kathy Gonzales  

II.                Reports

A.    Reading of the Minutes: Motion to pass with a correction of the incorrect spelling of Jannie’s name: Motion carried.   

B.     Public Relations Report – Joe Spearman: Pamphlets have to be distributed.

It was suggested we might be able to give the Tourist Association Joe had found a membership to get them to wave the $500 cost of distribution. A suggestion had been to have all of the organizations involved in this committee to donate the money needed to get this done. A direct mailing to the welcome centers can be done but that also cost money. How does the State get their maps and publications out? The state tourism commissioner is to be asked if they can help us get our brochure out. Joe’s cell number is 225-603-6086 if anyone has any solution to this problem.      

C.     Web Master Report – Skip Haley not available    

III.             Old Business

A.    Next Legislative Safety Endeavor

1.                  Dean idea to put more lights on motorcycles only a certain amount of lights are legally allowed on motorcycles.

2.                  Ban cell phone use in automobiles to many of the legislators use their cell phones while driving this has been tried for the past two years unsuccessfully

3.                   Warren and Poet met with Rep. Smiley who wants to introduce a bill for mandatory rider education for people seeking their first endorsement. They will have to use a state certified course This is going to be married up with a bill on the helmet law modification which will be 18 an over with freedom of choose. With this bill he feels he is satisfying the State and the rider issues. At present the course here can only handle 2500 a year. Around 10,000 people in Louisiana signed up for endorsements each year. Rep. Smiley is going to try to find extra funding for the rider education program at the Federal as well as the State levels. Larry to get facts and figures together and meet with Rep. Smiley so he better understands the issue. Col. Champagne stated that the Governor believes in Freedom of Choice however he wants to make sure the drivers of motorcycles are trained to ride them. No vote on this issue today since we do not have the drafted bill. Jannie to scan and send Poet an article about the ethics of the helmet.    

4.                  Make dealerships responsible for enforcement of education for endorsement. Dealerships are free enterprise and no one can force them to do anything like this. Insurance is required to remove a vehicle from a lot. The only way to achieve this is to involve the police and have them check for a mc endorsement before issuing a plate for the vehicle. We need to find out what the DMV policies are on this issue.

5.                  Electro magnetic red lights do not always recognize motor-cycles and Rep. Smiley wants to investigate a bill that will let the motorcyclist go through the light after a reasonable time of waiting. Poet is to get more information on the bills being drafted in other states. Next committee meeting will be studying this issue.

6.                  Must have an endorsement before can purchase a motorcycle

7.                  Make stiffer penatilies for ROW bills right now the wording states May Be so Rep.Smiley is investigating how we can fix that loophole to say shall or will.

8.                  Catch any bad bills that are being made

9.                  Create a graduated licensing bill. Rep. Smiley is presentably looking at some of the information and will keep up posted.

Joe has issues with dealership letting young people buying high-speed vehicles if we can make them buy some type of extra insurance.  Poet stated that graduated licensing would address this issue. (Poet to e-mail information about graduated licensing)   Tabled

             10.         Rep. Smiley is going to meet with the Superintendent of Schools and the Governor to get the present funds for the Louisiana State Riders Education Department moved into the Highway Safety Commission.        

B.      Enforcements being carried over from old license. Karla stated there was a glitch in the system and it has been fixed. However the bottom line is that you must check your license and make sure the M has been carried over.

C.                             New Business

1.   May As Motorcycle Awareness Month Rally

a.                   Deborah Todd to ask the Downtown Association if we can use their area and if we can bring our bands in. Also ask the Mayor to attend out function and get the Live after 5 involved.

b.                  Speakers are to be the Governor, Colonel Champagne, Chief Leduff, Warren Broussard, and Poet.

c.                   Going to address the Patriot Guard to come if want

d.                  Warren will take care of the music-Sandy

e.                   Colonel to see that no cars are parked in the lot for the Rally presentation at the Capitol.

f.                   Food- downtown will control the vendors available.

g.                  Bands-ABATE to provide

2.   The Highway-Rail Safety Summit and Highway Safety Summit will be on Wednesday February 27– Thursday 28, 2008.

IV.             Other Business

A.    Open the floor for any other discussions

1.                  Ride for your Life in Alexandria on Jan 26

2.                  Warren showed us the new MAC license plate with the funding spent on Awareness and Education. In the future they may get a motorcycle plate also.

3.                  A question was asked when we wanted to have the Motorcycle Summit this year and it was stated that around the same time in August seemed to be a good time.

4.                  Some monies are available to make a pin for LMSAC and May as Motorcycle Awareness Month Rally attendees and Joe and Angie will make a form that will not have a year on it.

5.              MAP program discussed about NASA and Jefferson Parish High School presentations that through the grants given to ABATE by the Highway Safety Commission became more than a dream. Hopefully we can expand our presentation to other venues to insure greater motorcycle safety and awareness.

B.     Next LMSAC Meeting

1.         Date:               Tuesday February 19, 2008

2.         Time:               9:30 AM

3.         Place:               LHSC

C.     Adjournment

1.                  Motion by:         Deborah Todd                                               

2.                  Seconded by:     Dean Lawrence          

3.                  Time:                  11:45 AM