AzMotorNews
Az
Motorist Alert
Oppose
Az House Bill 2136
Arizona's
Vague Ticket & Tow Anti-Cruising Bill
Prescribes
A Penalty For A Law Yet To Be Written
Arizona House
Bill 2136 or HB2136 will allow any Arizona law enforcement
officer to ticket and tow anybody's vehicle if he believes that probable cause
exists that this vehicle was cruising or participating in (as stated in this
bills language) an “unauthorized
assembly of vehicles that restrains the movement of traffic and impedes either
of the following: 1. Deployment of emergency or law enforcement vehicles or
services. OR 2. (Impedes) Access to a
business or residence.” The bill says that officers may only ticket and
tow vehicles when permitted to by a local ordinance governing the
“unauthorized assembly of vehicles.” (A new undefined legal term for
cruising.)
HB2136, subtitled as "unauthorized assembly of
vehicles; penalty" was proposed and introduced into the Az House of
Representatives on
Our Senators need to think about the chaos and unintended legal
consequences of allowing every little political subdivision and traffic court to
re-interpret and over-ride by local ordinance the State of Arizona's
Uniform Traffic Laws. Also, given a
broad interpretation by local ordinance’s and local traffic courts, HB2136
could easily become a weapon of mass disruption to Arizona's legitimate vehicle
clubs, local cruise nights, charity runs and highway tour-groups. Even annual
events like Az Bike Week and the world famous “Copperstate 1000” Vintage Car
Rally that cruises 1000 miles around Arizona to benefit the Phoenix Art Museum
would have to re-check local ordinance’s in dozens of towns every year just to
stay legal.
Two similar ticket and tow anti-cruising bills have been killed by the Az
Senate over the last two years. In its past versions many agreed that at best
this bill did nothing but duplicate existing laws, and at worst was too vague
and heavy-handed in its scope. HB2136 is the vaguest version ever
offered, a penalty for a law yet to be written.
Boosted by exaggerated tales of cruiser gridlock, the suspiciously vague
and heavy-handed HB2136 has
already easily and unanimously passed through the 60 member Az House of Representatives, and on
3-10-04, it was assigned to the Az State Senate NRT (Natural Resources &
Transportation) and Rules Committees for Senate approval. If, over the next few
weeks, HB2136 can pass out of these
two 7-member Senate committee hearings, a final floor vote by the
Senate’s 30 members will determine the fate and future of recreational
driving in
Az motorists who oppose this ticket and tow anti-cruising bill need to
first call and/or email the 7-members of the Az Senate NRT (Natural Resources
& Transportation) Committee, and if HB2136 passes NRT,
we'll then need to contact.the 7-members of the Senate Rules
Committee. We must “politely” try to convince a minimum of 4 of the 7
Senators on either committee that HB2136 is a fatally flawed bill that they should vote NO
on.
HB2136 will probably
be heard first by NRT (meets Tuesdays
Also, check out the State's website at: www.azleg.state.az.us/
to easily read the full-text of HB2136
with the proposed changes hi-lighted in CAPITAL LETTERS and/or in a different color. (You
should always read the hi-lighted changes first, as the summaries and fact
sheets are often misleading and understated.) You may also call 602-926-3559
or 800-352-8404 for the State
“info desks” to check the current status of any bill and to check if HB2136
has been posted to agendas. Call the "bill
room" at 602-926-4379 to
request up to 5-free copies of a bill.
* Remember, it’s all about free roads for
free people. If you don't speak-up for your own rights, no one else may either,
and the time to speak-up is NOW! Only united will we continue to
cruise free, and divided, we'll be ticketed and towed for unauthorized
assemblies (formerly known as cruise nights).
** This Az Motorist Alert was
issued by Bill Gilmore at Automotive Research Services,