All,

The legislative report from the Florida Bicycling Association (FBA) below may be of interest to GCC members. 

SGP


On Monday, February 15, 2016 10:52 PM, "Florida Bicycle Association(xxxxxx@floridabicycle.org)" <xxxxxx@mail2.clubexpress.com> wrote:


Florida Bicycle Association

Two items of note regarding this week:

1.  SB 332, aka Vulnerable Users bill, will be before the Senate Criminal Justice Committee tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10 AM.  It was on the agenda last week but discussions did not allow for it to be heard.  Our lobbyist will be in attendance in support of the bill.

2. SB 7062, aka Speciality License Plates, is not scheduled this week.  We are waiting to hear when it will be on the agenda for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

While we wait for this bill to be scheduled, we have time and opportunity to contact the members of this committee to ask that SB 7062 amendment 702386 - Share the Road license plate - be dropped, opposed or otherwise withdrawn.  Basically speaking, the request is to leave the Share the Road license plate allocations as is.

Here is a sample letter you may wish to use in an email to the senators:

To:  Florida Senators Latvala, Brandes, Clemens, Gibson, Detert, Diaz de la Portilla, Sachs and Thomson
Subject:  Allocation of Florida Share The Road License Plate Proceeds
Dear Senator:
I am a Florida citizen who is actively involved in bike safety education efforts at the local level in my community.  Florida has a very high rate of crashes and deaths involving bicycles and motor vehicles.  We have a huge educational challenge with both cyclists and motorists on ways to fix this problem.  
As a member of Florida Bicycle Association (FBA), I know firsthand the importance of what FBA and Bike Florida bring to the table and the great things that are being done collectively with the Share the Road proceeds.  
Both of these organizations do excellent work and cyclists rely on them for resources and bicycle education outreach.  Bike Florida and Florida Bicycle Association need each other and the state of Florida needs them both.
As you consider the pending legislation on the allocation of funds from the Share The Road license plate program, I urge you to make no changes in the current system.   It is important that you continue to provide this funding support to both Florida Bicycle Association and Bike Florida.  Cutting off this important funding from either of these organizations would be harmful to the cause of bike safety education in Florida.
Thanks for your attention to this important matter. 
Name
Address
City
Optional:  FBA member since or Share the Road plate # (or both)

Here are the members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development:

Chair: Senator Latvala – Pinellas County/Clearwater – https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s20
Senator Brandes – Pinellas County/St. Pete – https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s22
Vice Chair: Senator Clemens – Lake Worth – https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s27
Senator Gibson – Jacksonville – https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s9
Senator Detert – Venice –  https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s28
Senator Diaz de la Portilla – Miami – https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s40
Senator Sachs – Delray – https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s34
Senator Thompson – Orlando – https://www.flsenate.gov/senators/s12
Please contact these senators or your own senator and reference this bill/amendment.  Please ask everyone you know to help us, especially if they are a constituent to any of the senators - please ask them to send an email on behalf of Florida Bicycle Association.

The links provided will take you to the senator's web site and there are places on these websites where you can contact / email the senator.  It may take a little time, but the effort may help FBA keep valuable funding.  Please feel free to share this email. 
 On behalf of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board, thank you for your support of FBA.  We continue with our Mission and Vision for Florida cycling.

Becky Afonso
Executive Director
Florida Bicycle Association
Bike Florida and Florida Bicycle Association share a common cause in bicycle education for residents and visitors to the Sunshine State.  Share the Road license plate proceeds  benefit  Bike Florida and Florida Bicycle Association to further these bicycle educational efforts.   This will no longer be true if the SB 7062 amendment 702386 is adopted!!

Florida Bicycle Association, Inc.
Copyright © 2016 
PO Box 2452
Oldsmar, FL 34677
813-748-1513
The Florida Bicycle Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. All proceeds benefit FBA programs.
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION (CH9008) MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE.  REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.  http:/www.800helpfla.com/
 




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