“We’re here to pump up bike safety!” was the common refrain at each legislator’s office at the Texas State Capitol on Wednesday, March 4, 2009. BikeTexas volunteers and staff dropped off 181 Planet Bike Pumps (donated to BikeTexas) to “pump up” support for the 2009 Safe Passing Act effort (Senate Bill 488 and companion House Bill 827).
Attached to each lightweight plastic pump was a flyer explaining the Safe Passing Bill, showing the bill language on back, listing the authors in both the Senate (Rodney Ellis and John Carona) and House (Linda Harper-Brown) and listing BikeTexas contact information for follow-up questions. Click here for more information, and to see the bill language.
BikeTexas volunteers Laura King, Jennifer Cochran, Seth Green and Ryan Hanson joined the BikeTexas legislative team to complete the task in one day. Comments from the legislative staff were very positive and BikeTexas received a very kind handwritten thank you note the following day in the mail from Representative Tracy King of Eagle Pass (Dist. 80).
Pumping up Safe Passing at the Capitol Legislative staffers really appreciated having all of the bill information, including language, on the 8×5 full-color cards as a reference tool. It saves time for them and the elected official in learning the key facts of the bill, and helps them come to their decision in voting on the bill. Efforts like this make cyclists and important cycling issues familiar to the legislators and their staff.
Also a big thanks to BikeTexas volunteers who helped with the BikeTexas labeling prep of the pumps: Ginny Rohlich, Jack Royal, Clemmie Cummins, and… Ryan Hanson, doing double volunteer duty!
BikeTexas Cyclists in Suits – Texas Bike Lobby Day is Monday, April 20, 2009. This is our traditional bike-pin handout which is another chance for cyclists to interact positively with legislators and their staff. For more details, visit wwwBikeTexas.org/suits
