Legislator's e-mail inflames battle in Washington state over sound
Update: Senate Bill 5544 died when the Washington State Senate failed
to act on it by the deadline of Wednesday, March 14. Public pressure
from local organizations, off-road riders and the AMA, including a rally
at the capitol (photo above), helped derail the measure. Below is the original
story posted about the bill.
A battle in Washington state over proposed legislation that could
shut down off-road riding areas has been inflamed by an incendiary
e-mail sent by a state senator.
"I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one
too many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road
vehicles that have no damn business anywhere," state Sen. Adam Kline
wrote in an e-mail.
Despite the well-established fact that motocross is one of the most
physically demanding of all sports, Kline wrote, "There is nothing
sporting -- athletic, physically demanding -- about riding any machine
anywhere," and said the bill could be considered "an anti-obesity
measure."
He concluded by writing, "Please circulate this to all motorized
sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me."
The e-mail was circulated and drew a response. Kline sent a follow-up e-mail to those who responded,
both pro and and con, to his outburst. He apologized for his "rudeness"
and "for not acknowledging that a majority of ORV enthusiasts 'ride
responsibly.'" He also admitted being ignorant of the "sheer
athleticism involved in some motorized sports."
But Kline did not apologize for his stand on the bill, and he went on
to list several experiences that turned him against off-road vehicle
users: rowdy kids on watercraft nearly capsizing his canoe, snowmobiles
on trails where they are prohibited, a neighbor with a noisy dirtbike.
The measure at the center of the debate, Senate Bill 5544, would set
a new standard for sound levels from off-road vehicles. Sound
"clearly audible" in any home would be prohibited. Like many
other parts of the country, encroachment of residential development
threatens many off-road riding areas in Washington, and local industry
groups worry that setting such a low sound standard could eliminate most
of the off-road parks in the state.
The AMA, the
Washington State Off Highway Vehicle Alliance (WOHVA) and the Washington
State Motorcycle Dealers Association (WSMDA) are urging riders to oppose
the measure.
© 2007, American Motorcyclist Association
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