UNEMPLOYED FLOYD California bikers once again helped to defeat Dick ''Helmet Law'' Floyd in the recent democratic primary elections, sending him packing from the state legislature for the second time. ABATE of California and the Modified Motorcycle Association (MMA) worked together to unseat Assemblyman Floyd back in 1992, the same year Floyd's mandatory adult helmet law took effect in the Golden State, but he carpetbagged into another assembly district and managed to get reelected. This time, however, his departure should be more permanent, as term limits in the state assembly forced him to run for the senate where he was beaten overwhelmingly by biker-backed candidate Ed Vincent.
Vincent thanked ABATE of California in his victory speech, and credited bikers for providing the kind of campaign help we have become famous for.
Floyd, who has been a nemesis to bikers since he first introduced a helmet law bill in the late eighties, distributed last minute campaign brochures portraying bikers as thugs and criminals, and urging constituents to vote for him as the only legislator who stood up to "these Hells Angels types!"
Back when California's helmet law was signed into law, Floyd proclaimed that bikers ''would get used to it.'' Today, it's Floyd who'll have to get used to life without political power! Good riddance!
NCOM NEWS & NOTES

IS THAT YOUR FINAL ANSWER?
23 million -- Number of people who watched the Fox television special ''Who Wants To Marry A Multi-Millionaire.''
3 million -- Number of people who watched the Republican presidential debate on CNN.
THE WASHINGTON POST

VETERANS MOTORCYCLE LICENSE PLATES BILL CLEARS HURDLE IN CALIFORNIA SENATE Following months of frenzied lobbying by ABATE of California and a biker veteran named ''Trash'', a motorcycle license plate to honor veterans has received an important nod from the Senate Transportation Committee by a unanimous vote of 6-0. This vote reflects the strength of the motorcyclists' lobby, as bikers faced an uphill battle in getting their bill approved due to a self-imposed moratorium on approving any additional license plates in California.
Although AB1515 had received unanimous support in all the committee votes in the Assembly, including a unanimous floor vote to send the bill to the Senate for consideration, it was stonewalled in the Senate Transportation Committee until motorcyclists and other special interest groups wanting specialized plates were successful in convincing committee chairwoman Senator Betty Karnette to lift the ban and allow a vote.
In addition to creating a special plate to honor motorcycling veterans, AB1515 was further amended to allow motorcycle license plates to be issued for any existing specialty car plate.
At this point, it looks like smooth sailing for the Veterans Motorcycle License Plate bill, which has yet to have a single vote cast against it.
ABATE OF CALIFORNIA

PRO-MOTORCYCLE BILLS IN VIRGINIA AWAIT GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE In Virginia several pro-motorcycling bills have made it to the Governor's desk and are awaiting his final approval. House Bill 429 authorizes a special license plate bearing the phrase, ''Share the Road.'' After 1,000 plates are sold, a portion of the fees will be deposited in the Motorcycle Rider Safety Training Program.
House Bill 430 and its companion bill SB-248 require a motorcycle awareness component to be included in the public schools driver education curriculum. And HB-432 and companion bill SB-247 allow motorcycles to be equipped with additional brake lights (as approved by the Superintendent of the State Police).
The Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists (VCOM), along with ABATE of Virginia were instrumental in the progress of these bills. AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION (AMA)

OREGON DEMOCRATIC PARTY JOINS GOP IN ADDING HELMET LAW REPEAL TO THEIR PARTY PLATFORM Think one vote doesn't count? On Sunday March 5, 2000, the Democrat Party of Oregon (DPO) wrapped up their weekend State platform and resolution convention in Eugene, Oregon. Transportation Legislative Agenda item number one passed 68 to 67: ''Repeal the motorcycle helmet law for citizens over 21 years of age!''
This democratic convention vote was the culmination of over a year's worth of work within the party and we won by a razor thin margin. But, the important thing is that now *BOTH* political parties in Oregon have now declared grass roots support for the repeal of the mandatory helmet law.
Also included in the DPO Legislative Agenda is the item: Bar discrimination in public accommodations based upon mode of travel or associated clothing. Motorcycling lawyer and activist Spencer ''Spike'' Neal chaired the Human Rights, Justice and Public Safety Committee where this item was sent out to the Delegates with a ''do pass'' recommendation.
ABATE OF OREGON

MORE GOOD NEWS FROM OREGON...MOTORCYCLIST ACCEPTS APOLOGY FROM TIGARD POLICE CHIEF. It took a lawsuit in Federal court, but Oregon motorcyclist Phil Wagner got a formal apology for being hassled for his patch. Wagner had been excluded three times from the city of Tigard Balloon Festival solely because he was wearing his motorcycle club patch. He has received and accepted an apology from the Chief of Police for Tigard, a suburb of Portland, as part of the settlement of his case.
The chief gave the following apology: ''Chief Goodpaster of the Tigard Police Department recognizes that Phil Wagner of the Brother Speed Motorcycle Club has the right to wear his motorcycle club insignia to any event open to the public. The Chief apologizes for any previous misunderstandings regarding this right and has now reminded his officers of it.''
As part of the settlement the City of Tigard has also agreed to stop enforcing a policy whereby persons alleged to be wearing ''gang insignia'' were excluded from the festival. It will also pay Wagner $2000 for damages; the issue of the attorney fees due to Wagner's attorney, Spencer Neal, remains to be litigated.
''My client is not only delighted that he has vindicated his constitutional right to express himself freely but that the chief has shown the courage to give him an apology. Far too often police officials refuse to do the decent thing and apologize when they have erred. However, my client wants to make it perfectly clear that the Brother Speed Motorcycle Club is not a gang and considers that label to be defamatory and actionable,'' said Neal.
The Portland chapter of Brother Speed M.C. is a member of the Oregon Confederation of Clubs. The Confederation assisted with the out-of-pocket legal costs, because there have been more and more incidents of Portland and Eugene area bikers being excluded from public events, such as county fairs and this balloon festival. To help shore up the case, Oregon Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) Attorney Sam Hochberg rode with Wagner in his last attempt to get in to the festival. ''I just hope this case will be a bellwether for Oregon police chiefs, and that more will follow the lead of Chief Goodpaster, and stop needless harassment,'' said Hochberg. ''If not, we have our Confederation, and we have Spike (Spencer Neal), the feistiest civil rights lawyer in the state.''
CONFEDERATION OF CLUBS OF OREGON

JUDGE, COPS SQUARE OFF AS BIKERS REFUSE TO REMOVE COLORS Tucson City Court administrators are reconsidering a ban on gang-related clothing after two Hells Angels were arrested in the courthouse.
The March 2 incident led to a judge lecturing police officers, police officers questioning the judge and two members of the motorcycle club defending the Constitution.
The incident began when Craig T. Kelly and a friend went into the courthouse that Thursday to contest a traffic ticket. A courthouse security officer told Kelly and Mac McKay that they couldn't wear their leather vests with Hells Angels patches in the courthouse. The reason, security officer Giles Massie said, is that ''gang colors'' are prohibited.
Kelly and McKay ignored the order and went up the elevator to Judge Kate Dawes' third-floor courtroom anyway. But before the judge came in for the 10 a.m. hearing, a Tucson police officer assigned to the courthouse arrived and said they would have to either remove their vests or leave the courthouse.
''They refused both options,'' Officer Gary Downard wrote in his police report.
Downard went down to the court's first-floor holding cells and returned to the courtroom with fellow officer Jonathan Armand. McKay and Kelly voluntarily left the courtroom with the officers but said they would not remove their vests or leave the courthouse. Instead, they asked to be arrested. The officers happily complied, handcuffing Kelly and McKay, then taking them down to the holding cells.
But within 15 minutes, Dawes sent her bailiff down and ordered that Kelly and McKay be brought back to her courtroom. There, the judge ordered the Hells Angels released from handcuffs.
''She told the cops they were violating our First Amendment rights. She said it would be up to a judge to decide whether (the clothing) was disruptive, McKay said.''
Dawes' minute entry from the hearing reads: ''Mr. Craig Kelly has a constitutional right to wear his Hells Angel attire. This applies to Mr. McKay as well.''
Dawes then noted that the officer who had ticketed Kelly Nov. 13 was not in the courtroom, and she dismissed Kelly's charges of speeding, making an unsafe lane change and driving without a motorcycle endorsement.
''If the court wants to allow that kind of attire, fine. We don't care. If they don't, we need to be supported when we enforce their policies,'' said City Court supervisor Sgt. Wendell Hunt, who indicated he and his men felt undercut by the judge's decision.
But it turns out the policy may be more informal than the police realized. Court Administrator Martha Hesla had staff members look for a written policy for several days following the arrest, but they couldn't find one. Finally, City Magistrate Michael Pollard concluded there was no formal regulation on gang-related clothing.
Hesla said the informal ban was intended to strike a delicate balance between allowing access to the court and providing security inside.
For local Hells Angels, though, access also means the freedom to come to court as they are.
''It's a freedom of speech issue,'' said William ''Tramp'' Potter, the president of the Tucson Hells Angels charter group. ''It's just like someone wearing a suit every day. I wear my colors.''
BY TIM STELLER, THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR

CYBER-BIKERS If you're one of those bikers who's biggest problem in life is how to get the grease stains off your keyboard, you're not alone. According to motorcycle market analysts JD Power & Associates, more than two out of every three new motorcycle owners reportedly ride the information superhighway, and more than half of those indicated they surfed the net to shop for their new bike!

JUST SAY "NO MORE!" From the state that brought us the first seat belt law in the country, New York is currently considering a new law that would prohibit smoking in your car if you have a passenger under 16! If passed, violators would be subject to civil penalties up to $500 for the first offense, $1,000 for second offense, and up to $1,500 fine and ten days in jail for any subsequent violations.

GAS PRICES IN PERSPECTIVE People have been complaining about the rising price of gasoline recently, especially with industry insiders predicting the price per gallon to reach $2.00 this summer, but a recent article in AUTOWEEK magazine points out what a good value gas is (especially if you were to take the $0.30 - $0.40 per gallon tax off at the pump)!
What if you were to buy a gallon of:........
Diet Snapple 16 oz. for $1.29.............$10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz for $1.19.............$9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz for $1.59..................$10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz for $1.25...............$10.00 per gallon
Evian (water) 9 oz for $1.49..............$21.19 per gallon
STP Brake Fluid 12 oz for $3.15...........$33.60 per gallon
Vicks Nyquil 6 oz for $8.35..............$178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz for $3.85..............$123.20 per gallon
Whiteout .7 oz for $1.39................$254.17 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz for $0.99....................$84.84 per gallon
So next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on Whiteout!

STATES AND LOCALITIES CONSIDER BANS ON CELL PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING In response to growing evidence that motorists' use of cell phones increases crash risk, two municipalities have passed ordinances limiting their use. Last September, Brooklyn, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, passed the first ordinance in the country banning cell phone use while driving. Since then, the Philadelphia suburb Hilltown, Penn., enacted a similar ban on the use of hand-held cell phones. Restrictive legislation is now pending in eight states, although earlier efforts have failed in several states.
''At least 15 states have proposed bills restricting cell phone use by motorists, only to have the measures die in committee,'' says Matt Sundeen, an analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. ''Part of the reason is the political clout of 76 million cell phone users. Also, just about every politician owns and uses a cell phone.'' But the link between cell phones and crash risk continues to grow, and 300 municipalities are considering such ordinances.
In 1997, The New England Journal of Medicine reported that motorists who use cell phones are four times more likely to crash, and equated their use with drunk driving. In a three-year study of Oklahoma crash data, researchers linked cell phone use with a ninefold increase in fatalities.
In a new report on wireless communications, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) encouraged state and local officials to begin tracking cell phone use in related traffic warnings, citations, and crash investigations.
Already growing at a rate of 40% per year, the use of cellular communications is likely to increase as wireless Internet access, fax machines, and televisions are introduced. According to NHTSA, 85% of all cellular customers are using the devices while driving.
BY GAY FRANKENFIELD, RN, WebMD MEDICAL NEWS

JAPANESE PASSENGER BAN CHALLENGED Harley-Davidson Motor Company and U.S. Government officials recently made a joint pitch to Japanese leaders to repeal their ban against motorcyclists carrying passengers on the expressway. Japan is the only country in the world to prohibit tandem riding.

R.I.P. RIP One of the best known and well respected scooter tramps of our time, Rip of Easyriders magazine, has taken a detour onto Heaven's highway. Known by many through his travels as a roving writer for Easyriders and Biker magazines, he touched many lives and publicized many events through his ''Rip's Run'' columns. Rip died Friday, February 18, 2000, after a long battle with diabetes and cancer, but he will live on in our memories and through his annual Rip's B.A.D. Ride to benefit juvenile diabetes. Ride on, Rip.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's NCOM Convention in San Francisco will be dedicated to Rip. Rip was honored with the Silver Spoke Award for Media at last year's NCOM Convention in Phoenix.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: ''It is to secure our rights that we resort to government at all.'' THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1795