‘Black Friday’ Roars For High Handlebars Tweedy Olympia Goes Leather For The Motorcycle Lobby

Lobbyists in leather rolled to the Capitol on “Black Friday” to meet with lawmakers to discuss motorcycle safety, rider training and a new cause.

Now that the state Supreme Court has upheld the mandatory helmet law, riders have a new bill to rally around - one that would let them legally raise their handlebars.

“I call it my Harley-dude bill,” said Rep. John Pennington, R-Battle Ground, sponsor of House Bill 2434.

Pennington doesn’t ride but has an affinity for those who do. He’s “fascinated about their philosophies on freedom,” he said.

For the last couple of years, Pennington has attended the Cowlitz County Cow Chip Boogie, a gathering of about 1,000 riders held every summer. Someone there told him about an old statute that prohibits motorcyclists from having handlebars more than 15 inches above their seats.

Pennington believes lawmakers passed it in the late 1960s as a way to keep out the Hells Angels and other biker gangs.

“Now that the Hells Angels are delivering Christmas toys and playing Santa, I think it’s inappropriate that we regulate their handlebar size - as long as it’s not a safety concern,” Pennington said.

His bill would raise the legal limit for handlebars up to 30 inches above the seat.

Black Friday happens every year, but it’s still an unusual sight to see bikers clad in black leather roaming through the halls on the Capitol campus. They arrive during the legislative session to lobby on a host of issues, including the helmet law, instructional courses for riders and insurance and licensing fees.

The state Supreme Court ruled Jan. 8 that Washington’s mandatory helmet law is not “unconstitutionally vague.” The decision has stalled what had been riders’ most popular cause for years.

Rep. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, isn’t giving up the fight. He sponsored a bill that got stuck in committee last year that would let riders over 21 choose whether they want to wear a helmet.

“They’d like to have that choice,” he said. “Let them decide. They’re not a burden on society - most of them have insurance like everyone else.”

Farmers back inspection plan

Dairy farmers and some environmentalists, at odds over water pollution caused by manure, are nearing agreement on a proposal for new safeguards.

Dairy farmers on Thursday told the Senate Agriculture and Ecology Committee they hope adopting additional safeguards against pollution will help keep them out of court and clear of negative publicity.

“This industry is in desperate need of getting a credible program on the ground,” said Debbie Becker, director of the Washington Dairy Federation.

Senate Bill 6161, sponsored by Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, would authorize the Department of Ecology to set up an inspection schedule for the state’s 800 dairies rather than having to wait for a complaint to make an inspection.

It also would require dairies to register with the state and prove they are complying with clean water laws. Farmers who chose not to register would be put at the top of the inspection list.

Currently, only dairies found to be discharging wastes are required to develop a waste management plan, the Tri-City Herald reported Friday.

Representatives of environmental groups told the committee they support the measure, although more funding is needed to see the program become reality.

But Helen Reddout, president of the Community Association for Restoration of the Environment, which is challenging Yakima Valley dairies, said Swecker’s bill doesn’t satisfy her.

“It’s simply a rehashing of what we’ve had before,” she said.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FRIDAY NOTES Coming up The House Education Committee opens three days of hearings on legislation to improve reading in Washington’s public schools.

Overheard “I call it my Harley-dude bill.” - Rep. John Pennington, R-Battle Ground, sponsor of a bill that would allow motorcyclists to raise their handlebars up to 30 inches above the seat.

Other people’s houses The Maryland Senate expelled a member Friday for the first time in two centuries, and supporters of Sen. Larry Young said he was singled out because he is black. Young, a Baltimore Democrat and chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, was accused of using his office to solicit gifts, including a luxury car and money from a state college.

Days in session Friday was day 5 of the 60-day session.

Legislative hot line 1-800-562-6000 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

On the Internet http://www.wa.gov for the state of Washington’s home page. http://www.leg.wa.gov for the state-run Legislative Service Center.