The Indiana General Assembly kicked off the 124th session today. Organization Day takes place two weeks after Election Day. Leadership is selected and an agenda is usually presented. It’s not really a big deal, unless you are a freshman legislator being sworn in for the first time.
NOTE: If Indiana is 208 years old, why is this only the 124th session? Keep in mind, until the 1970’s the Indiana General Assembly only met every two years. At that time, they added the “short session” to address “urgent” issues.
The photo shows Secretary of State, Diego Morales (a longtime fan of ABATE), gaveling in the House Session and Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, Loretta Rush, swearing in Speaker of the House Todd Huston. The other photo shows the crowd outside of the Senate Chamber.
Typically, little actual business is conducted. Today, the House minority expressed concern with rules proposed by the majority. This had to do with the period of time between committee passage of a bill and the second reading. Depending on the situation and who you are, this could work to your advantage, or be a real pain in the ass. In the old days, everything was analog (printed bills), but today it’s all digital. Expediting things makes sense, but if it’s a bill you don’t want, it could move very quickly from first reading to third reading without much ability to do anything.
No real surprises today, and we didn’t really expect any. I can’t believe I’m saying this (which ensures that it will go badly), but I don’t think things are going to get ridiculous at the Statehouse. I wish I could say the same for D.C.
It’s almost 70 degrees in Indianapolis today. On November 19, for crying out loud (although they are saying we could have snow on the ground in two days). A Midwestern state enjoying pleasant temperatures in what are generally thought to be cold months is concerning. Sure, it’s great. It’s really cool to say you’ve ridden your motorcycle in every month of the year (and did NOT have to be miserable). However, recording motorcycle fatalities in months that generally see zero motorcycle traffic is terrible for statistics.
Remember that we started 2024 off with fatals in January and February. This weekend we lost a 24 year member when a driver turned left in front of him. Godspeed Tracy.
We, yes “us”, WE have got to do something to address this. Last weekend was a textbook right of way violation, and there are a number of those. However, there have also been far too many, avoidable, single-vehicle crashes that point to rider error. Alcohol continues to be an issue. God knows I really enjoy craft-brewed beer and good whiskey. But we MUST get riders to separate drinking from riding. Additionally, we need to find a way to get people to ride within their limits. If you’ve got a performance machine and you’re a truly skilled rider, that’s one thing. But folks who have barely ridden and are now out “hammering the twistys” get themselves into trouble and make us all look bad.
I’ll tell you right now, I don’t believe we have EVER had more claims on the AIL AD&D benefit than we have this year. It’s truly a blessing that we were able to provide this to the families of lost members in the most difficult time of their life. But I’ll tell ya’, I’m more than a little concerned that AIL could pull this benefit. That’s how many there have been this year.
Nationally, we’ve seen increases in motorcycle fatalities for several years. Indiana is not immune. The climate is right, for so many reasons, to try to restrict motorcycles, or do away with them all together. If we wish to protect, promote and preserve our chosen lifestyle for future generations, or even our own, we MUST remain vigilant. Apathy prohibited!
Ride Safe,
Ride FREE,
Jay
