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ABATE OF WASHINGTON

JULY 2024 UPDATES

STATE COORDINATOR'S REPORT

Thank you to everyone who showed up and participated in the ABATE of Washington 46th Annual Spring Opener! I will discuss it more in-depth next month, but if you missed it, you definitely missed out!



The 501(c)3 and Articles of Incorporation have been submitted to the Secretary of State for finalization. It has been a long two years and a huge learning experience for all involved. We still get to participate in Black Friday at the capitol, meet with legislators, and continue to push for motorcycle rights. 



Elections are coming up for your chapters. Please consider running for positions within your chapter.

Enjoy all the rides coming up and support chapters where you can. Our chapters support so many different charities, and it truly makes a difference for them.



Until next month,

Andy McAfee - Coordinator

ABATE POSITION OPENING

We are in need of a new State Products Coordinator. If interested, don't hesitate to get in touch with Bubba Bowen at srdeputy.abateofwashington@gmail.com. A special thank you to Cheryl Holtquist for all her hard work.

MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION

CONGRESSIONAL MOTORCYCLE CAUCUS


Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) President Kirk "Hardtail" Willard and Vice President Jay Jackson recently had the honor of joining the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus for an event celebrating "Ride to Work Day." Lawmakers joined them to ride through the streets of Washington, D.C. to raise awareness of the motorcycling community.


Read the full story here.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complied with a 2022 Congressional directive to report back on the profiling of motorcyclists, but no one in Congress was alerted to the report. It was thanks to an eagle-eyed MRF member that the report was brought to light. This incident is an excellent example that no one is looking out for bikers except bikers.


Read the full story here.

40th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MINDS


Read the full story here.

ALL STATES, BIG AND SMALL, STATE MOTORCYCLIST RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAPPY ANNIVERSARY


The MRF prides itself on being the voice of the American street rider. We care about bikers, no matter where they come from. How amazing is it that for 50 years, bikers across the country have united to defend our rights? We would not exist without the support of SMROs. Thank you for inspiring and empowering the MRF!


Read the full story here.

American Income Life - FREE Accidental Life & Dismemberment

Dear Members of A.B.A.T.E of WA: 


You may recall receiving letters from American Income Life Insurance Company (AIL) over the years. As a member of ABATE of WA, you automatically receive a $4,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance benefit at no cost to you or ABATE of WA.


ABATE of WA has partnered with AIL for several years to offer these benefits. Each letter included a reply card, which you must complete to receive your certificate of coverage. An AIL representative will contact you to designate a beneficiary. If you do not name a beneficiary, the $4,000.00 will be paid to your estate and may be taxable. 


ABATE of WA does not provide AIL with your name or contact information. The only way they have access to your information is when you send the reply card back or CLICK HERE to request your benefits. AIL offers several supplemental programs, which will be discussed when an AIL representative calls. 


If you have any questions, please contact AIL at 1-800-495-1213 or Fran Christie, AIL Public Relations at 778-231-0226. 


Over numerous years, AIL has helped ABATE of WA families by paying multiple claims. ABATE of WA has no financial interest in AIL in any way.


To request your benefits, click below:

Request My Benefits

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

Thanks to all of you who have submitted articles, chapter reports, and photographs for our Freedom Newsletter. 


I will send an email confirmation of each submission I receive. If you do not receive written confirmation from me, the submission did not arrive as planned. Please reach out to me so that I can ensure your submission is included in the next month's newsletter. I will respond with an email confirmation. As always, thank you for sending your submissions by the 15th of each month.


With respect and gratitude,


Shari Carlsberg

ABATE Freedom Newsletter Editor 

newsletter.abateofwashington@gmail.com

IN THE WIND

RUNS AND EVENTS

Steeple Chase 2024

June 1, 2024

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW T-SHIRT ORDER FORM

Bike Games

July 4, 2024

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER

Demolition Derby and Fireworks

July 4, 2024

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER

Bike Games

July 4, 2024

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER

RIDER REIMBURSEMENT


Complete a State-Approved Rider Safety Course to receive $50 reimbursement & more!


CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FLYER

CHAPTER REPORTS

COLUMBIA GORGE

July Upcoming Events 

 

4th of July

1st) We have our annual Poker Run, line up at 9 AM from Klickitat County Fairgrounds, KSU @ 10 AM

10.00 per bike 5.00 per extra.


READ MORE

EPCC

EPCC here – wishing you all a Superb Summer! By now we have all had an amazing time at Spring Opener and I hope everyone survived! Prior to that event, EPCC held our annual Mystery Run on May 18th. Huge thanks to our Tacoma Chapter brothers & sisters for joining their Roll ‘Em Out Run with ours. 


READ MORE

FOOTHILLS

Greetings from Foothills!  


By now Spring Opener is packed up and put away! I’m sure it will be a blast and we will have all had a great time! Thank you for all the volunteers who helped put it together!  


Foothills Fallen Pig Roast & Chapter Fundraiser is Saturday, August 10th, KSU 10:30 AM. Watch Facebook for updates. 


READ MORE

MASON COUNTY

"Shelton Veterans Village would like to extend our sincere thanks to ABATE Mason County Chapter member JohnnyMac for his generosity in transporting our veteran, "Ron," and his Harley Sportster 1200 to RevMo Choppers in Olympia for much-needed repairs."


READ MORE

PACIFIC COUNTY

Our 26th annual 101 Run went well on June 8th. Distance champs were Johnny Mac and Amy from the Mason County Chapter. Thanks for coming down and riding with us!


READ MORE

SPANAWAY

Not much going on with Spanaway right now. Will update everyone on how the Spring Opener Poker Run went along with Spring Opener in general next month.

Spanaway is looking into some new ideas to fundraise and hopefully will have one in place in September at our soup challenge so stay tuned!


READ MORE

STAR LAKE

 Greetings everyone from Star Lake Chapter


We conducted our Chapter meeting June 9th, 2024, 10am at Purdy’s Public House in Sumner. The chapter discussed the successful benefit ride event for CCS (Catholic Community Services) Kinship Support group on June 1st (photos 1-7). The chapter took in over $2700 for the Kinship Family Support group. 


READ MORE

Need to reach a specific Chapter?

Get their contact information here:

SEE ALL CHAPTERS HERE

MYERS & COMPANY

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See Our Reviews
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Who We Are


We’ve been helping people for almost 30 years. We’re smart, efficient, and sophisticated. We measure success by the results achieved for our clients. Most of our cases involve a motorcycle, bicycle, and auto collisions. We work on a contingent fee basis. We only get paid if there’s a recovery. Not only do we do all the work, we also advance all the costs necessary to prepare the case for trial. Clients don’t have to pay any money upfront.

The Value of Human Life: May 1st, 2024

How much is a human life worth?

It’s a question that’s asked in every wrongful death case.  


It’s also a question that’s asked when proposed regulations are evaluated. The government weighs the cost of implementing the proposed regulation and the value of the lives it will save. 


For a long time, the government focused on how much people earned and equated their income to the value of their lives.  


View the original newsletter here! We want to work on issues that are important to you. What kind of help can we provide to your club?

Click to watch the video

Pinewood Derby

When you get past the surface, no one is an average or run-of-the-mill person.  


That begs the question: Does it make sense to go beyond the surface? In a case with $8,000 of chiropractic treatment it probably doesn’t move the needle. And it’s probably not necessary when someone has lost limbs or been rendered quadriplegic... Click here to read more.

The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword

Not many First Amendment cases get filed. The vast majority—maybe 99 percent—get dismissed.


But ours didn’t. Last week we tried an important First Amendment case in the federal courthouse in Richland.  


Click here to read more.

Thirty Years in the Saddle

And just like that it’s been 30 years since I started practicing law.  


My first job was at a law firm. But I didn’t like being told what to do. So three years (and three firms) later I started Myers & Company. My first business card read: Comprehensive Legal Services.


I didn’t want to miss an opportunity.  Ever since then I’ve been narrowing my practice. At this point I just represent people who have been hurt—physically or financially—by someone else.  


Click here to read more.

Small Things Make a Big Difference

Most stories have a theme:

Fate v. Free Will

Good v. Evil

Man v. Nature



So do personal injury cases. Themes help tie together evidence and remind juries why what they’re hearing is important.


One of the big struggles is figuring out what theme really fits the facts of the case. A theme that isn’t quite right... Click here to read more.

Resources for Bikers

Filling in the Blanks


Most people have a pretty clear memory of how they got hurt. Frequently their memories are punctuated with very specific details. “That son of a bitch looked me right in the eye before turning left.” “The front door mat was a bright pastel color.” “The impact made a sound just like an M-80 going off.” But when you go through something traumatic, like a motorcycle wreck, the brain isn’t focused on making memories—it’s focused on survival. The same mechanisms that keep the brain sharp enough to escape immediate danger may also make it harder to accurately recall the event.

READ MORE

He Passed Me Going 90 MPH


In just about every motorcycle case we have there are allegations that our client was speeding. There are a couple of important things to know about the issue of motorcycle speed. The first relates to the reliability of witness observations. The second deals with the way courts deal with favored drivers exceeding the speed limit.


Witnesses are almost always wrong about motorcycle speed. It may be based on the relatively small size of motorcycles compared to other vehicles. Or it may be based on witness bias.

LEARN MORE

What the Jury Doesn't Hear


The evidence rules have a big impact on what the jury gets to hear (and what it doesn’t get to hear). Evidence can seem a lot like an iceberg: 10 percent visible, 90 percent below the surface.


A lot of the evidence rules are counter-intuitive. Here’s what the jury doesn’t get to hear in a personal injury case.

KNOW THE RULES

ABATE of Washington | abate-wa.org