Friday, June 23, 2006

Granholm veto keeps helmets on motorcyclists
Too bad Craig. Guess you'll have to go out of state to smack your head against the pavement at a high rate of speed.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Friday vetoed a bill that would have allowed adult motorcyclists to ride without helmets.

Granholm said repealing the mandatory helmet law, which dates back to the 1960s, doesn't make sense.

"The social and economic costs of this legislation simply are too high," Granholm wrote in her veto letter to lawmakers.

The veto disappoints American Bikers Aiming Toward Education of Michigan. The group had successfully urged both the House and Senate to pass the bill, getting the mandatory helmet repeal as close to final approval as it has ever been.

ABATE said Granholm succumbed to false claims and insurance industry pressure.

"Her veto isn't about safety but about money," ABATE legislative director Jim Rhoades said in a statement.

Rhoades said the group would hold Granholm accountable for her veto in the November election and will continue to advance its freedom-of-choice and safety education efforts.

Down in Illinois, guys would fly by me on the highway doing better than 100 without a helmet on- it's one of the scariest things you'll ever see in your life. Not being a motorcyclist, I guess I just don't understand the appeal...