On May 7, 1996, the California Senate Transportation Committee met to decide if AB-244 -- a helmet law modification bill sponsored by Assemblyman Bill Morrow -- was worthy of being presented for a vote by the California Senate.

    This is the fifth year in a row that the motorcycling community has gone to the California Legislature (with their hat in hand) to seek relief from the mandatory motorcycle helmet law enacted in January 1992. The vote of the committee was a decisive thumbs down (the Armageden promised by Sen. Kopp shortly after the bill passed out of the Assembly). The bill failed 6-2. What happened?

    The answer to that question may very well reside in the testimony that was presented to the Committee, which is why we have transcribed and uploaded it here for your edification.

     The names and titles of each of the speakers are listed below. To view the testimony of any one of these speakers, just click on the name of the person and presentation you would like to review.

    If you start with Morrow, and move from speaker to speaker (by clicking on "next speaker" at the bottom of each page) you will be able to experience the testimony pretty much as it went down. (No pun intended)

• Assemblyman Bill Morrow - Introduction.
• Paul Lax - ABATE of California
• Michael Osborne - ABATE of California
• Robert Rasor - American Motorcyclist Association
• Hye Weisman - California Motorcycle Dealers Association
• Jeff Rabe - Modified Motorcycle Association
• Shannon Laughy - Injured by helmet
• Stan Perez - California Highway Patrol
• Wendy Max - University of California San Francisco
• Corinne Peek - University of California Los Angeles
• Michael Hawkins - Kaiser Permanente
• Michael Maddock - California Medical Association
• Randy Chestnut - San Francisco General Hospital
• Jack Rozance - Kaiser Permanente
• Richard Woonacott - California Office of Traffic Safety
• Mike Sise - San Diego Mercy Hospital
• Steve Lambert - Quadrapleagic
• Dianne Colburn - Personal Insurance Federation of California
• Mary Price - Lost her son
• Dana Pierce-Hedge - California Department of Health Services
• Susan Doyle - Automobile Club of Southern California
• Jerry Boone - California Federation of Women's Clubs
• Doris Muntz - California Transportation Safety Leaguers
• Margaret Schneider - American College of Emergency Physicians
• Joe Cindrich - NHTSA
• Jaime Guzman - California Department of Mental Health
• Robert Terry - Witness
• Richard Quigley - Helmet Law Defense League/Bikers Of Lesser Tolerance
• Dick Floyd - Former Assemblyman
• Bill Morrow - Closing arguments from the author of AB-244.
• Epilog

Epilog:

    The outcome of this meeting is now history, as is AB-244. However, the transcript could serve to better prepare everyone for the next go-round if we'll all just take advantage of it. One way is to share our respective perspectives of what happened.

    As you read through the transcript, there were many links to in-depth observations about all the different aspects of the hearings, with new ones coming in all the time. We are actively seeking input from all visitors who would be willing to share their opinions on these witnesses and their testimonies. (Click on "comments" at the end of the testimony of the witness whose testimony you with to address.)The comments we recieve that relate to specific points of any of the witnesses will be uploaded and linked to the portion of the testimony to which they are directed. The general assessments (some solicited, some not) of the entire meeting as a whole will be posted below.

    Here's what we have so far (in alphabetical order):

• Michael Osborn - May 8, 1996
• Richard Quigley - May 7, 1996
• Paul Rafter - June, 1996
• Tony "Pan" Sanfelipo - May 29, 1996
• Steve Schmerler - May 23, 1996
• Geoff Smith - May 7, 1996