This Just In From The AMA: Anti-Motorcyclist Profiling Bill Granted Reconsideration

Press Release
by Press Release

Contact your representative and ask them to take action to prohibit law enforcement from profiling motorcyclists because of their clothing.

Begin press release:

Assembly Bill 2972 failed to pass the full Assembly but has been granted reconsideration and is expected to be heard again by the end of May.

The bill, introduced by California Assemblymember Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) and co-authored by Speaker Pro-Tem Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo), would prohibit law enforcement officers from using “the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle or motorcycle club-related clothing as a factor, without any individualized suspicion of the particular person, in deciding to stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search a person or vehicle, with or without legal basis under the California Constitution or the United States Constitution.”

Now is the time to ask your representative to support A.B. 2972. To contact them click the “take action” button below.

The AMA Board of Directors has previously adopted a position statement condemning the practice of motorcyclist profiling. It reads: The American Motorcyclist Association has long advocated for the rights of motorcyclists and the motorcycling lifestyle. The AMA, in diligently scrutinizing government policies directed at motorcyclists, is concerned over motorcyclist profiling. This includes motorcycle-only checkpoints and what is a predisposition in many cases of law enforcement officers targeting motorcyclists solely because they are wearing motorcycle-related clothing.

In the past few years, a number of efforts have been undertaken to address these issues. For example, the states of Washington (S.B. 5242 in 2011) and Maryland (S.B. 233 in 2016) have passed legislation specifically forbidding the profiling of motorcyclists, and other states are considering similar legislation. Additionally, California adopted Assembly Bill 1047 in 2012, specifically outlawing motorcycle-only checkpoints. Checkpoints are also restricted by state law or judicial action in: Alaska, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, New Hampshire, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The AMA strongly condemns the profiling of motorcyclists by government agencies and has long championed the undeniable fact that the vast majority of riders and enthusiasts are upstanding, law-abiding citizens. Motorcyclists and motorcycling enthusiasts represent the full range of Americans and should be judged on their specific behaviors and actions, not their chosen mode of transportation or association with others.

If you are not yet an AMA member, please join the AMA to help us fight efforts to restrict responsible motorized recreation. More members means more clout against our opponents, and your support will help us fight for your riding rights – on the road, trail, racetrack, and in the halls of government. To join, go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/membership/join.

Press Release
Press Release

More by Press Release

Comments
Join the conversation
Next