Photos courtesy of Scott Johnson

UPDATE

TOM SELF HOLDS JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE
WITH J.C. KUESSNER (D-Eminence),
ED MORELAND (AMA) AND PAUL VITRANO (MIC)

Representative Tom Self held a press conference at the Missouri State Capitol building on Wednesday March 4th at 12:15 P.M. There were several major media announcements as well as visual aides. Flying in for the event and making statements were Ed Moreland, Vice President Governmet Relations AMA (American Motorcyclist Association), as well as Paul Vitrano, Executive Vice President and General Counsel MIC (Motorcycle Industries Council) and SVIA (Specialty Vehicle Institute of America).

Steve Halterman, Missouri Regional Manager, NMA (National Motosport Association) and Greg Mitchell (Missouri Powersports Dealers) were also present and available for statements. The press conference subject was the devastating financial, safety and practical consequences nationwide resulting from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The law was enacted in Washington last year and went into effect on February 10th 2009. Missouri House Resolution 736 was referenced, which passed the Missouri State House of Representatives by a vote of 148-13.

Click here to view pictures from the Press Conference with Ed Moreland and Paul Vitrano.

TOM SELF ANNOUNCES 10-DAY, 5-STATE MEDIA TOUR

Schedule to be announced this week.

HOUSE RESOLUTION 736 PASSES 148 to 13

Click Here to view the House Resolution 736 introduced by Representative Tom Self on February 18, 2009, and co-sponsored by a Majority of over 90 Representatives from the State of Missouri.

As of Monday March 9th, we have had over 72,870 petitions signed through this website.
Keep up the good work, so that our Government hears the voices of the American People.

Click Here to view the letter written by Representative Tom Self sent to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

URGENT

As of Tuesday, February 10th, 2009, the small powersports industry has all but been shut down. This affects not only dealers and new units but individuals all across the U.S. New and used units as well as parts avilability for every used unit in the nation has been called under question. This issue is far reaching not only financially but also concerning safety. With the suspension of proper sized ATV's and motorcycles suspended, young riders will be tempted to use improperly sized and built machines which could (but Lord willing won't) lead to severe injuries.

There is a waiver now setting before the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington DC, but has not been acted upon as of yet. We need every available rider, Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Aunt, Uncle and any relative, friend neighbor, business or personal contact or any person who is a legal us citizen to get involved. They need to access this website, read the sample letter, type in their name and addresss then click the "send a letter on my behalf" icon below it. This will generate correspondence to all the committee members in Washington that are on the committee that oversee the commission that could act upon this. The commission members as well as my office will also receive copies of the letters set so we can be the most effective voice we that we can. The sport as well as the industry is in turmoil and time is short. The future of small powersports is at risk! PLEASE ACT NOW!!

SEND A LETTER TO THE U.S. CONGRESS

If you would like us to send a letter to the United States Congress on your behalf, please fill in your name and address (optional) below and we will forward the following email to the Representatives and Senators.

Dear Representatives & Senators,

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was signed into law on August 14th of last year after receiving broad support from both the House and Senate. I appreciate that this landmark legislation is intended to improve the safety of our nation's consumers and I support the CPSIA's goal of protecting children from harmful substances. However, I am concerned about the potential unintended consequences of the legislation.

One sector particularly affected by the new lead content standards, under section 101(a), is the off-highway vehicle industry. Under the CPSC's interpretation of the CPSIA, engines, brakes, wheels, tires, and suspension parts on these vehicles must be tested and meet the lead standard due to remote concerns over lead exposure to children six years or older. While the law provides some exclusions for inaccessible components and also authorizes the CPSC to grant exemptions under certain conditions, to date the CPSC has not done so for products in the off-highway vehicle industry. This situation has resulted in HUGE inventories of products - which present no health risk to children - to be rendered retroactively illegal, and prohibits the future sale of these products because all available exemptions have yet to be clarified.

Off-highway vehicle recreation is enjoyed by all ages and contributes significantly to the national economy. I thus urge the CPSC to grant the petition for temporary exclusions submitted by the snowmobile, ATV, and off-highway motorcycle industry.

Respectfully,

FOR FURTHER ACTION

If you would like to do more to help address the consequences of the CPSIA, please call the Representatives and Senators who sit on the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Committee, as well as your State's Representatives and Senators.

Representatives	Phone Number
Bobby L. Rush, IL	202-225-4372
Jim Matheson, UT	202-225-3011
Jan Schakowsky, IL	202-225-2111
G. K. Butterfield, NC	202-225-3101
John P. Sarbanes, MD	202-225-4016
John Barrow, GA	202-225-2823
Betty Sutton, OH	202-225-3401
Doris O. Matsui, CA	202-225-7163
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ	202-225-4671
Kathy Castor, FL	202-225-3376
Bart Gordon, TN	202-225-4231
Zachary T. Space, OH	202-226-6265
Bart Stupak, MI	202-225-4735
Bruce L. Braley, IA	202-225-2911
Gene Green, TX	202-225-1688
Diana DeGette, CO	202-225-4431
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX	202-225-3236
John D. Dingell, MI	202-225-4071
Anthony D. Weiner, NY	202-225-6616

Senators	Phone Number
Mark Pryor, AR	202-224-2353
John D. Rockefeller, IV, WV	202-224-5141
Daniel K. Inouye, HI	202-224-3934
Bill Nelson, FL	202-224-5274
Maria Cantwell, WA	202-224-3441
Frank R. Lautenberg, NJ	202-224-3224
Claire McCaskill, MO	202-224-6154
Amy Klobuchar, MN	202-224-3244
Olympia Snowe, ME	202-224-5344
David Vitter, LA	202-224-4623
John Thune, SD	202-224-2321
Roger Wicker, MS	202-224-6253



CPSC Officers	Phone Number
Chairman Nancy Nord	301-504-7901
Commissioner Thomas Hill Moore	301-504-7902
Executive Director Patsy Semple	301-504-7907

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