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THE ONLY MOTORCYCLE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IN THE TRI-COUNTY AREA

LEGISLATIVE NEWS MSAP INSTRUCTORS COMMUNITY SERVICE
Lobby & Educate the Government & the General Public to Promote Motorcycling in a Safe & Positive Image
NOVEMBER 2014 Volume XXXIV, Issue V
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ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC.
Southwest Chapter
PO BOX 60745 Fort Myers, FL 33906
southwest.abateforida.com
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
SEE PAGE 4 FOR MEMBERSHIP TRUSTEE INFORMATION
Name (Please Print Legibly): __________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City State Zip Code + Four
Phone: (Include Area Code) _______________________ Email Address: __________________________________
May we use your phone number for our phone tree? YES NO
Are you a registered Voter? YES NO
Please List your voting districts from your Voter Registration Card:
_________ FL House _________ FL Senate _________ US Congress District
Name of Chapter you wish to join ___________________________________________________________
If you are a member of more than one chapter, please designate your home chapter _______________________________________
Select ONE of the following:
New/Renewal - Annual Membership Due $20.00
Lifetime Membership $ 150.00
Transfer Membership to: __________________________________________________________________________________
Change of Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Signature _______________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________
Sponsored by Chapter Member : _______________________________________________________________________________
Memberships are open to anyone 18 years of age or older All members receive with their paid membership a membership card, our bi-
monthly Masterlink magazine, Chapter Newsletter, Chapter voting privileges and
personal involvement in Statewide legislative actions and their freedom to ride
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER
CHAPTER USE
Dues Paid by Cash Check Money Order
Mailed Date: Membership Card _________________________
Copy of By Laws _________________________
Membership Expiration _________________________
Make Checks Payable to:
ABATE of Florida, Inc.
Southwest Chapter
ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC.
MISSION STATEMENT
WHO WE ARE
We are a non-proft organization of motorcycle
enthusiasts from all walks of life. We lobby and
educate the government and the general public
to promote motorcycling in a safe and positive
image. We endeavor to enlist the cooperation and
participation of all organizations and individuals
that share a similar interest in preserving our
American tradition of FREEDOM. We promote
motorcycle safety, training, & political awareness.
We ARE NOT A CLUB OR A GANG. We
fund our work through toy runs, poker runs,
campouts, and other motorcycle activities. We
are your neighbors & friends who work, pay
taxes, and get involved with our community. We
serve and support our country and believe in
freedom. We use all legal means to protect our
rights without infringing on the rights of others.
OUR GOALS
To become a powerful and viable political force in
legislative matters concerning the motorcyclist.
To promote the safe riding habits without infringing
on individual freedoms.
To motivate the bikers to write letters to their
legislators before, during, and afer the legislative
session.
To furnish our members with a newsletter to
keep all bikers informed in regards to upcoming
legislation.
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER
MEETING SCHEDULE
OUR NEXT CHAPTER
MEETING WILL BE HELD
November 2nd
at Te New Harley Davidson
MEMBER MATERIAL DEADLINE :
20th of the Month for Editorial
and Board Approval
NEW ADVERTISERS OR AD DEADLINE:
15 of the month
IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER NEWSLETTER;
ISSUE DATE: NOVEMBER 2014
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
ABATE of Florida, Inc.
Southwest Chapter
PO Box 60745, Fort Myers, FL 33906
http://southwest.abateforida.com
Disclaimer:
Te views expressed in this newsletter are not
necessarily those of ABATE of Florida, Inc. and or
the Southwest Chapter.
Tis publication allows members to express their
beliefs and opinions. ABATE of Florida, Inc. and
Southwest Chapter accept no responsibility for
the comments, opinions or views contained in this
newsletter.
Please direct correspondence in reference to this
publication to:
Victor Piorkowski | (cell) 239-823-6159
Donations to ABATE of Florida, Inc. are not
deductible for Federal Tax Purposes.
ABATE of Florida, Inc.
2010 ABATE of Florida, Inc. Southwest Chapter
All Rights Reserved
ABATE of Florida, Inc. and the Southwest Chapter
do not condone drinking while riding or driving
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ABATE of Florida, Inc. |Southwest Chapter
EXECUTIVE BOARD & TRUSTEES
PO Box 60745, Fort Myers, FL 33906-6748
Southwest.abateforida.com
President -Victor Piorkowski
239.823.6159 | pior10@yahoo.com
Vice President - Richard Leon
239.728.7100 | Raleon87@hotmail.com
Secretary - Laurie Hanley
239-898-5168 | S_l_hanley@hotmail.com
Treasurer - Gwynne Hickman
239.246.2025 | gwynne.hickman@gmail.com
Sergeant At Arms - Shayne Hanley
S_l_hanley@hotmail.com | 239.560.2565
Membership Trustee - Victor Piorkowski
239.823.6159 | pior10@yahoo.com
Public Relations - Gwynne Hickman
239.246.2025 | gwynne.hickman@gmail.com
Legislative Representative- Ken Teddybear Miller
239.693.7035 | kennethrmiller@comcast.net
Safety Director - Frankie Kennedy
239.849.9065 | swchief2000@yahoo.com
State Delegate(s) - Victor Piorkowski , Richard Leon
Webmaster - Taylor Musburger
239.334.1620 | ABATE@Musburger.net
Chapter Chaplain - Tom Provenzano
239.267.8641 | tprovenz@comcast.net
Road Captains - Gerry Mangina
HELP SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MRO*
Chapter Meetings held at Six Bends Harley-Davidson
of Fort Myers 1st Sunday of each month
*MOTORCYCLE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC.
2012 ABATE of Florida, Inc. Southwest Chapter
All Rights Reserved
ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(as of 6/12/14)
STATE OFFICE:
ABATE OF Florida, Inc.
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (386) 943-9610 Fax: same
Email:fabate@bellsouth.net

PRESIDENT:
JAMES"DOC" REICHENBACH
PO Box 712, Silver Springs, FL 34489-0712
Phone: (352) 625-6353 Fax: same
Email:fabatestatepresident@gmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT:
DENNIS "MUDDER" RUDOI
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (407) 925-4307 Fax: (407) 699-9748
Email:fabatestatevp@yahoo.com

SECRETARY:
SHELLY JOHNSTON
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (904) 405-4700 Fax:(386) 943-9610
Email:fabatestatesecretary@gmail.com

TREASURER:
PATTI NASRALLAH
PO Box 16309, Temple Terrace, FL 33687-6309
Phone: (813) 695-9203 Fax: (813) 626-2306
Email:patti.nasrallah@gmail.com

SGT-AT-ARMS:
TJ PAINTER
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (352) 303-8299 Fax: (386) 943-9610
Email:fabatestatesgtatarms@gmail.com

PR/COMMUNICATIONS:
SARABETH KOHL
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (904) 591-4100 Fax: (386) 943-9610
Email:fabatestatepr@gmail.com
MASTERLINK EDITOR:
C/O STATE OFFICE
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (386) 943-9610 Fax: (386) 943-9610
Email:fabate@bellsouth.net

MEMBERSHIP:
GRACE LORD
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (904) 504-6362 Fax:(386) 943-9610
Email:fabatestatemembership@gmail.com

SAFETY PROGRAM (MSAP) DIRECTOR:
CHARLIE WENGER
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (954) 650-1420 FAX: (561) 333-6773
Email:fabatemsap@gmail.com

LEGISLATIVE TRUSTEE:
DARRIN "SCRIBE" BROOKS
PO Box 2520, Deland, FL 32721-2520
Phone: (239) 398-7145
Email:statelegislative@abateforida.com

PRODUCTS TRUSTEE:
STEVE "CARETAKER" KNEE
PO Box 4372, Milton, FL 32572-4372
Phone: (850)529-4446 Fax: (386) 943-9610
Email:fabatestateproducts@gmail.com

LEGAL COUNSEL:
LARRY CROW
1247 S. Pinellas Ave, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
Phone: (727) 945-1112 Fax: (727) 945-9224
Email:crowlaw@tampabay.rr.com

WEBMASTER (appointed):
Email:fabate@bellsouth.net
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Presidents
Message
I
would like to thank everyone who helped at the
safety booth at the Cape Coral Bike night. Te
next is fort Myers bike night, November 8th.
Te next abate meeting will be at the new six bends
Harley Davison, 9501 Tunder Road, Fort Myers,
upstairs conference room. Mug's & jugs, Lehigh acres,
has a bike event on the last Sunday of the mouth from
noon to 4:pm.
Tanks to Shayne & Laurie we have a safy booth at
this event, so stop on out.
Hillsborough county chapter again did a great job on
the spook 'n scoots event and state meeting,
I will have the state report at are next meeting, Nov 2
Iva Sokolik has stepped up and is now doing our
Newletter. Tanks Iva.
Christmas run to Douglas T veterans is on for the 21st
of December. Still working on escort.
Once I get everything together I will send out fyer.

VICTOR PIORKOWSKI
President Abate of Florida inc. Southwest Chapter
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SOUTHWEST CHAPTER LIFE MEMBERS
Keith Baker
Darrell Barnett
Jerry Barnett
Denee Bartels
Scott Blink
Chet Butz
James Burkholder
Nora Burkholder
Don Campbell
Frances Cazes
Wayne Cerra
Jonathan Conant
Terry Covington
Audrey Cran
Maggie Cran
Rick Cran
Rob Cran
Robert Cruz Crusan
Jim Crystal
Dan Curry
Ginny DAsti
Bife Davis
Lynne Davis
Mary Dicenzo-Porter
Al Diagiaco
Frank Disomma
Cindy Doak
Randy Eck
Marius Espeleta
Brian Galvin
Sonny Gartrell
Steven Goldstein
Lynnda Gray
Larry Gullia
Bob Hall
Rodney Hollingsworth
Misti Hollingsworth
Harry Hoover
Jef Hoover
Jonathan Hunt
George Huttman
Susan Red Huttman
Dan Jackson
Cindy CJ Jordan
Frankie Kennedy
John Kennedy
Ed LaCombe
Julio Lopez
Mary Ann Rivera-Lopez
KD Marlowe
Russell May
Rev.Rea Means
Don Meredith Jr.
Jo Ann Miller
Kenneth Miller
John Mitchell
Moe Moser
Jim Mozeleski
Taylor Musburger
Carl Nelson
Terry Padilla
Bob Penn
Asuncsion Peppers
Richard Peppers
Victor Piorkowski
Kathleen Provenzano
Rev. Tomas Provenzano
Bill Robinson
Janet Rolfe
Tabitha Rossi
Roland Salsberry
Jencye Schmitt
Jerry Schmitt
Bruce Scheiner
Juergen Wolfgang Schitzer
Jencye Schmitt
Jerry Schmitt
Elsie Seif
Doug Sepanak
Robert Simon
Kelly Smith
Randall Spivey
Richard Stergulz
Sandy Stergulz
Grandpa Stewart
Lynda Stewart
Russell Sullivan
Scott Turner
Ruth Vorys
Teresa Webster
D. Payton Wells
Michael Wieland
Jama Wyatt
Steve Wyatt
To become a Life Member Contact Membership Trustee
See information on Page 4
Membership Report
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER PRODUCTS
CHAPTER PATCH LARGE
(MEMBERS ONLY) $25.00
CHAPTER PATCH SMALL
$7.00
CHAPTER FLAG
$25.00
CHAPTER SHIRTS & MORE ARE AVAILABLE ~
SEE PRODUCTS TRUSTEE FOR INVENTORY
LOOKING FOR
A FEW GOOD MEN!!
Te SWFL Chapter of LEATHERNECKS
Motorcycle Club Intl., Inc.
We Welcome
Marine Veterans, FMF Corpsmen
And Active Duty Men and Women Marines
If you love riding a motorcycle and want the
Brotherhood/Sisterhood. Tat you had in the Corps,
then we are what you want!
For further information contact
Rail Road at: 239-321-3298
Or visit our website at: www.leathernecks-swf.com
Vice Presidens Report
Member:
Cape coral Bike Night was a success! the weather was
absolutely beautiful. Tank you all for stopping by and
helping out. Te weather is getting better every day!
Tat means more motorcycles are coming out as well.
Please make sure you and yours are safe this snowbird
season. Tickets are still being sold. if every can bring
what tickets you have sold to the
December meeting, We need to turn them into state.
Renewals expire the last day of your month. Membership applications
can be picked up at local motorcycle shops throughout Lee County and
many ofer discounts to ABATE Members (just show your card) and at
our Tuesday Bike Night at Te Joint in Cape Harbor from 6p-9p.
Membership Is $20.00 per year or a life membership for $150.00.
Membership includes a $4,000.00 accidental death or dismemberment
policy, local discount with participating businesses and a VOICE to be
counted as a member of a Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO) to
make roads safer and drivers accountable for their actions.
Memberships are open to anyone 18 years of age or older
All members receive, with their paid membership, a membership card,
our bi-monthly Masterlink magazine, Chapter Newsletter, Chapter
voting privileges andpersonal involvement in Statewide legislative
actions and their freedom to ride
Membership Application Found on Page 2.
NEW MEMBERS :
Iva Sokolik
Roger K Smith Sr
Steven J sweigert
Fan Lupo
Dan Mele
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RIDE
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MUGS N JUGS
noon till 4pm
General Meeting
10 am at
Harley Six Bends
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Ride your bike and get 15% Discount!
Ad Expires 8.14
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MUGS N JUGS
noon till 4pm
General Meeting
10 am at
Harley Six Bends
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Dear Fellow Abate Members...
Whos Your Daddy?
How many times have we heard this question in conversations between people and/
or when someone is trying to let someone come to realize, that the one who is making
this statement, is the one who cares, provides, and takes care of the person, at the
other end of this question.
Ask yourself this, Who is my real daddy? Or, Who is my father?
For many, the question is a very difcult one to respond to. Many times, children are raised without a father fgure
and/or a male role model. Or, the natural father may have been someone that abused your mother, you, and/or your
siblings. Te father may be someone that was married more to his work than to your mother. He may not have
known how to be a father because he had no role model in his life. He may have been alcoholic or drug addicted. You
may have never remembered your father giving you a hug or telling you that he loves you. Rather than being there
and guiding you when you messed up as a kid or teenager, he made you feel like an embarrassment.
Because of all the above (and, much more than can be described in this one or two page letter were almost sure that
many reading this will have their own story to tell), many have a serious problem in understanding God as the Father.
Many have difculty in coming to know Him and coming to Him through Jesus Christ His Son.
Look to God as the One who really cares for us. First, Go to Him in prayer. Jesus says in Matthew 6:8, your
Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Tis, then, is how you should pray:Our Father in heaven, hallowed
be your name,10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the
evil one. NIV
John 16:27, Te Father Himself loves you
John 16:32, I am not alone because the Father is with me.
Matthew 6:25-33, - Terefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body,
what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not
sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the fowers
of the feld grow. Tey do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one
of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the feld, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fre, will he
not much more clothe youyou of little faith?1 So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or
What shall we wear? For the pagans run afer all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But
seek frst his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Terefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. NIV
Romans 8:31, If God be for us, who can be against us?
Remember the story of the Prodigal Son? Tis is really a story about us and the relationship we have with God as
the Father. Te son wanted his inheritance, NOW. So, it was given and he lef his fathers household. He spent and
squandered it all. He ended up feeding pigs and eating like them, too. So, he went back to his fathers land planning to
tell his father that he had sinned and was sorry. But, as he was nearing his fathers place, the father saw him way of in
the distance. Te father was flled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed
him. Luke 15:20 - NIV
A biblical scholar once wrote, He wants you to end worry and abandon yourself to His love and care Te Fathers
love for you is of no value, if it is not known. If it is known and not acted upon, it is of no value. It is truth acted upon
that brings dividends to the heart. You must learn to trust in Him with all your heart and to stop leaning upon your own
understanding E.W. Kenyon What Happened from the Cross to the Trone.
Are you ready to abandon yourself to Him? Are you ready to accept the true and perfect Father that you never had?
You may have had a good earthly father. However, you can have so much more!
Are YOU ready? Please pray this, with your whole heart, Dear God, I accept you as my heavenly Father, I confess
that I am a sinner and have been separated from You. I ask forgiveness of my sins. I repent and accept this gif of
repentance and I wish to be free in you. I confess with my mouth that your son Jesus is my Savior and died for me. I
believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. I receive Jesus into my heart and ask Him to become the center
of my life. I ask, in the Name of Jesus. Amen." If you have prayed this and/or wish to talk, call us at 239-267-8641
Blessings,
Tom and Kathy
Pastor Tom (SW ABATE Chaplain and Estero River ABATE Life Member) and Pastor Kathy (SW ABATE Life
Member) Foursquare Chaplains - 239-267-8641 or email: tprovenz@comcast.net
Continued
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FLORIDA AMENDMENTS 2014
AMENDMENT 1
Te Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative, Amendment 1 is on the November 4, 2014 ballot in the state of
Florida as an initiated constitutional amendment. Te measure, upon voter approval, would dedicate 33 percent of
net revenue from the existing excise tax on documents to the Land
Acquisition Trust Fund.[1]
Te Land Acquisition Trust Fund would be expended to acquire and improve conservation easements, wildlife
management areas, wetlands, forests, fsh and wildlife habitats, beaches and shores, recreational trails and parks,
urban open space, rural landscapes, working farms and ranches, historical and geological sites, lands protecting
water and drinking water resources and lands in the Everglades Agricultural Areas and the Everglades Protection
Area. Te fund is designed to manage and restore natural systems and to enhance public access and recreational use
of conservation lands.[1]
Te campaign in support of the initiative is being led by Florida's Water and Land Legacy.[2]
For a referred amendment to win in Florida, it must win a supermajority vote of 60 percent of those voting on the
question, according to Section 5 of Article XI. Tis change was made via Amendment 3 in 2006.
SUPPORT FOR:
Te measure is sponsored by the organization Florida's Water and Land Legacy.[2]
Supporters of Amendment 1 emphasize that the measure enhances drinking water, conservation and recreation,
including for future generations, without raising taxes. Tey also say the states economic reliance on tourism
behooves the state to invest more in protecting the regions natural beauty.
OPPOSITION AGAINST:
While there is no organized campaign against Amendment 1, a number of politicians, individuals and organizations
oppose the measure. Some feel the amendments goals are warranted, but changing the constitution to meet such
goals is not. With this amendment in the constitution, elected ofcials wouldnt be able to modify how much of the
documentary tax revenue the LATF would get. Others emphasize the number of conservation laws and amount of
land the state already owns to critique the amendment.
AMENDMENT 2
Te Florida Right to Medical Marijuana Initiative, Amendment 2 is on the November 4, 2014 ballot in the state
of Florida as an initiated constitutional amendment. Te measure, upon voter approval, would legalize medical
marijuana. Specifcally, the measure would guarantee the following:[1]
Tat medical use of marijuana by a qualifying patient or personal caregiver is not subject to criminal or civil
liability or sanctions under state law.
Tat a licensed physician is not subject to criminal or civil liability or sanctions for issuing medical marijuana to a
person diagnosed with a "debilitating medical condition" under state law.
Tat registered medical marijuana treatment centers are not subject to criminal or civil liability or sanctions under
state law.
Te measure defnes a "debilitating medical condition" as cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV,
AIDS, ALS, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease "or other conditions for which a physician believes that the medical
use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient."[1]
Te Florida Department of Health would be responsible for regulating medical marijuana. Te department would
issue and regulate patient identifcation cards and personal caregiver identifcation cards, develop procedures related
to medical marijuana treatment centers and institute regulations defning reasonable amounts of marijuana for
medical use. Te department would be required to protect the confdentiality of all patients.[1]
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Te constitutional amendment contains six limitations on how the amendment's language can be construed:[1]
Te amendment does not afect laws relating to non-medical use, possession, production or sale of marijuana.
Te amendment does not authorize the use of medical marijuana by anyone other than a qualifying patient.
Te amendment does not allow for the operation of a motor vehicle, boat, or aircraf while under the infuence of
marijuana.
Te amendment does not require accommodations for medical marijuana use in any place of education or
employment, or of smoking medical marijuana in any public place.
Te amendment does not require any health insurance provider or any government agency or authority to
reimburse any person for expenses related to the medical use of marijuana.
Te amendment does not require the violation of federal law or purports to give immunity under federal law.
Supporters of Amendment 2 say the measure will help people with debilitating medical conditions.
Opponents, on the other hand, argue the amendment is de facto legalization" of marijuana.
For a referred amendment to win in Florida, it must win a supermajority vote of 60 percent of those voting on the
question, according to Section 5 of Article XI. Tis change was made via Amendment 3 in 2006.
AMENDMENT 3
Te Florida Prospective Judicial Vacancies, Amendment 3 is on the November 4, 2014 ballot in Florida as a
legislatively-referred constitutional amendment. Te measure, upon voter approval, would empower the governor
to fll judicial vacancies by appointing a justice or judge from among at least three, but not more than six, candidates
selected by the judicial nominating commission. Te measure would also allow the governor to "prospectively"
fll a vacancy, meaning that the governor would not need to wait until a judge completes his or her term to pick a
successor in situations where a judge:[1]
Reaches the mandatory judicial retirement age of 70.
Fails to qualify for a retention election.
Fails to be retained through election.
Te amendment was introduced into the Florida Legislature by State Senator Tom Lee (R-24) as Senate Joint
Resolution 1188
SUPPORT FOR:
Te Florida Chamber has a long standing position against constitutional amendments that can be handled by the
Legislature or in the states budget.
However, this clarifcation on judicial appointments can only be accomplished by constitutional amendment.
Currently, a justices term of ofce runs concurrent to the governors. Amendment 3 solves the question of who
appoints these vacancies if there is a change of governors at the conclusion of the justices term.
Te Florida Chamber Supports Amendment 3 Because It:
Clarifes existing constitutional language to specify that the outgoing governor appoints incoming Florida Supreme
Court Justices and district court of appeal judges if a vacancy occurs at the same time as the outgoing governors
term ends.
Cannot be solved through legislation and must be passed as a constitutional amendment.
Prevents the possibility of legal challenges and confusion when governors change and judicial vacancies occur.
OPPOSITION AGAINST:
An outgoing governor should not be able to appoint agency heads that serve under the incoming governor, arguing
that the incoming governor should be able to appoint judges that he or she can work well with. He said, It's not
good policy to be having an outgoing person deciding the balance of the court. Te state Supreme Court justices are
of a higher importance than who the secretary of the Department of Transportation is, so their logic just doesn't add
up.
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G
ood Morning Freedom Fighters:
I would like to say thank you to Don
Armstrong for being our guest speaker last month.
He was very informative and well received by everyone at
our chapter meeting.
Don was pleasantly surprised to learn that the
Southwest Chapter teaches a course in the Lee County
school system, and was very interested in what we do. He
also told us that being a motorcyclist himself, he would be
very happy to issue a proclamation declaring the month
of May to be Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.
Tank you Don for your support of motorcycle safety, and
your commitment to the education of our children.
I hope all of you have a great turkey day this
month, and able to share this holiday with those who are
special in your life.
Also coming up in November is the general
election on Tuesday November 4.On the ballot this
month, voters will be asked to decide on three proposed
constitutional amendments, a proposed Lee County
Charter amendment, and a proposed change to the Lee
County School Board.
Both Congressional Districts will be up for grabs.
Congressman Curt Clawson, District 19, has drawn three
challengers, including a write-in candidate. I dont know
where Curt stands on the issues as he has not responded
to me.
Congressman Tom Rooney, District 17, on the
other hand, has responded to me. He is very motorcycle
friendly. He and his staf keep me well informed as to
whats going on in Congress. He is being challenged by
Democratic candidate Will Bronson.
Te Governors race is the one everyone is
watching. Gov. Rick Scott has a strong challenge from
former Gov. Charlie Crist. Tis has turned into a real
circus; I just wish these fellows would stick to the issues
rather than slinging mud.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has drawn two
challengers, and Chief Financial Ofcer Jef Atwater
is being challenged for his seat, and Agriculture
Commissioner Adam Putnam challenges include a write-
in candidate.
County Commissioner Brian Hamm is being
challenged by Democrat Debbie Jordan and Don
Armstrong is being challenged by former school board
member and Chairman Steve Teuber.
In the Lee Memorial Hospital Board races, Marilyn
Stout has stepped down from the District 1 seat to run
in the school board race, which she lost. In the District
2 race Nancy McGovern is the only incumbent running,
and in the District 4 race, both of the incumbents, Diane
Champion and Chris Hanson are being challenged for
their seats.
CONSERVATION AMENDMENT A QUESTION OF
BUDGET PRIORITIES THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE,
October 13, 2014,..........Support for a ballot proposal that
would set aside money for water and land conservation is
so strong that many opponents are all but resigned to its
passage. But that doesn't mean they aren't worried about
its impact on Florida's budget.
Te proposed constitutional amendment would
require the state to dedicate a portion of real-estate
tax revenue over the next 20 years for environmental
preservation. It's estimated the proposal would generate
$10 billion to $19 billion from the already-existing tax,
with the money going to buy or restore areas crucial to
Florida's water supply, such as the land around springs,
and to natural systems that have been despoiled, such as
the Everglades.
Te Florida Chamber of Commerce, which
opposes the measure, said Amendment 1 was polling at
78 percent this summer, easily clearing the 60 percent
support needed to become law.
"Te numbers show this is going to pass,"
afordable-housing advocate Mark Hendrickson said last
week. Hendrickson was leading a webinar on Amendment
1 for the Florida Housing Coalition, answering the
questions of people who work with the group. He said
afordable housing programs would be vulnerable if
Amendment 1 passes because they get funding from
documentary-stamp taxes, the same pot of real-estate fees
that would be used for land and water projects.
"Te most likely place you look is to the other trust
funds that are funded with doc stamps, and that means
transportation and housing," Hendrickson said, adding
that housing trust funds have a history of being raided by
the Legislature. "We will be more at risk, and signifcantly
at risk, if this passes."Hendrickson made a point of noting
that he supports environmental programs. And Will
Legislative Report
Submitted by
Ken TEDDYBEAR Miller
22 SOUTHWEST

Abberger, the campaign manager for Florida's Water and
Land Legacy, the group behind Amendment 1, said in
a separate interview that conservationists have worked
"arm in arm" with housing advocates.
"Te tragedy is, it shouldn't be environment
versus housing," said lobbyist Karen Woodall, who works
on homelessness issues and has long sought more funding
for health and human-services programs. "We have all
these false battles."
But backers say Amendment 1 is the only way to
force the Legislature to spend money on the conservation
eforts afer the Florida Forever program has been
shortchanged in recent years."Te Florida Forever program
was decimated in 2009, going from $300 million per year
down to $17 million this year --- the year in which we had
a $1 billion surplus," said Chuck O'Neal, chairman of the
League of Women Voters' natural resources committee.
"Florida is facing a crisis with the quality and quantity of
water, not only coming out of our springs but also as a
source of drinking water for our current population and
those who have yet to arrive."
Te measure has created some odd alliances. Former
Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, a Democrat, and former
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, a Republican,
both support it.
Te Tampa Bay Times joined Senate President Don
Gaetz, R-Niceville, and House Speaker Will Weatherford,
R-Wesley Chapel, in opposition. Tere are legislative
leaders on both sides.
Gaetz predicted the amendment would pass
"because it's coated in all kinds of warm fuzzies." But
he warned that "what it means is before we can spend
the frst dollar on education or health care or law
enforcement or economic development or the arts or any
other critical needs of the state if this passes, we have
to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the purposes
of Amendment 1, which substantially include purchasing
large tracts of private land and taking them of the tax
rolls."
McCollum, however, said the measure would fund
needs that cannot wait for lawmakers to come around.
"Many of our rivers, our lakes, our natural springs are
clogged right now, and the water-management districts
don't have the money to clean it up," McCollum said.
"Sometimes legislatures get other priorities in their minds
at the moment, and they don't provide a consistent source
of funding for some of the critical things like this that
really are needed now --- not 10 years from now, (or) 15
years from now, when it may be too late."
But Woodall, while understanding the
environmentalists' frustration, said Amendment 1 also
would shrink that portion of the doc-stamp money that
goes to general revenue.
"(Lawmakers) don't tend to cut tax cuts and
sports subsidies," she said. "Tey tend to cut health and
human services. Somebody's going to get cut if additional
revenues aren't raised."
In short, Amendment 1's opponents say the
constitution is no place for legislative budgeting, while
its backers say lawmakers have lef them no choice.We
should only amend our constitution sparingly and
thoughtfully," Steve Halverson, chairman of the Florida
Council of 100, a group of business leaders, said in a
statement. "Te provisions of Amendment 1 can be dealt
with legislatively.
Te Florida Farm Bureau and Florida Chamber,
also opponents, collaborated on a 2014 voting guide in
which they wrote, "Tis amendment would also encourage
other special interests to try to get their funding placed
in the constitution, potentially harming our elected state
leaders ability to govern in a fscally responsible way."
Abberge, however, called lawmakers "out of touch
with their constituents on the issue of water and land
conservation. ... Unfortunately, we had to go the citizens'
initiative route because of that disconnect between the
voters and the Legislature."
If the measure passes, lawmakers will have much to say
about its implementation.
But Graham, an Amendment 1 supporter, said
the Legislature traditionally has protected Florida's
environment --- which, is critical to the economy."History
should give you some comfort," he told a caller to a Sept.
17 town-hall meeting. "Is it also necessary for citizens to
be vigilant politically? ...Yes, and I'm glad you're talking to
legislators about that."
P
OT AMENDMENT: FOR DEBILITATING
DISEASES OR 'DISINGENUOUS?' THE CAPITAL,
TALLAHASSEE, October 13, 2014..........For
former House Speaker Jon Mills, crafing a constitutional
amendment that would allow doctors to order pot for
extremely ill patients was an opportunity for the onetime
University of Florida law-school dean to fex his legal
know-how.
But the academic exercise became more personal
a year afer he started work on Amendment 2, one of three
constitutional proposals going before voters this year.
Mills, diagnosed with lymphoma in 2013, is one of the
amendment proponents debating the merits of allowing
Legislative Report Continued
physicians to order marijuana for patients like him.
Opponents of the measure, led by the Florida
Sherifs Association, argue that the proposal is riddled
with loopholes that will result in "a joint in every
backpack" in Florida schools, legitimize drug dealers and
enable doctors to order weed for a sore throat.
Afer his diagnosis, Mills underwent painful
radiation treatment. His doctor ordered powerful
narcotics, but, afer taking just one, Mills said he decided
he would rather sufer the pain than the discombobulation
caused by oxycodone.
"I tried it and I hated it," Mills, a Democrat who served as
House speaker in the late 1980s and is now the director
of the University of Florida Center for Governmental
Responsibility.
Te amendment would allow doctors to order marijuana
for patients with debilitating conditions listed in the full
text of the proposal --- such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV,
AIDS and hepatitis C --- or "other conditions for which
a physician believes that the medical use of marijuana
would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a
patient."
Tat's a major sticking point for opponents, who
use Mills' own words last year before the Florida Supreme
Court to poke holes in the proposal.
Justices asked Mills to explain what patients might
tell doctors trying to determine whether their "other
conditions" qualify for the marijuana treatment. "I have
throat pain, I cant sleep, Im having a problem eating "
a patient might say, Mills told the justices in December.
A clip of Mills's response is highlighted in one of
the many videos released by Drug Free Florida, a political
committee funded heavily by Las Vegas casino magnate
Sheldon Adelson, who's pumped $4 million into fghting
the proposed amendment. "Tose aren't debilitating
diseases. Tis is how they created the pot-for-anyone-
who-wants-it loophole," an ad asserts.
Mills said his comments were taken out of context
and that the conditions he described --- extreme throat
pain and inability to sleep or eat --- were his own."Tat
wasn't an abstract concept. Tat was my personal
experience. I guarantee you the inability to eat or sleep
was debilitating," he said.
In a 4-3 opinion, the Florida Supreme Court
agreed with Mills, deciding that the "other conditions"
language in Amendment 2 is not misleading to voters.
But Polk County Sherif Grady Judd, a former
president of the the Florida Sherifs Association, pooh-
poohed Mills' arguments and the Supreme Court ruling.
Seven former Supreme Court justices have joined the
coalition fghting the measure, Judd noted. "What else
is Jon Mills going to say because he wrote it? He knows
good and well that the loopholes are there because he
wrote the loopholes into it. For him to say otherwise is
disingenuous. Tey are there. Tey're clear and they're
convincing," Judd said. "Amendment 2 is not just about
the very sick and the debilitated. If it were, we wouldnt be
having this conversation. It's about the loopholes. It's all
about the loopholes. It's just a bunch of hooey."
Opponents of the proposal like Judd ofer a parade
of horribles encountered by California and Oregon afer
legalizing medical marijuana. According to Judd, the
average patient in California is a 32-year-old white male.
"Tat's not a sick population," he said.
Te pot proposal has created a dilemma for
Republican leaders. Making medical marijuana legal
received broad support from Florida voters, including
Republicans, in a variety of polls earlier this year. But that
support has dropped in the wake of television attack ads,
giving hope to opponents that the proposal will fail to
garner the 60 percent support of voters required for any
constitutional amendment to pass in Florida.
GOP legislative leaders, including outgoing House Speaker
Will Weatherford, have lined up against the amendment.
In a maneuver aimed in part at curtailing support for
the proposal, the Legislature this spring legalized strains
of pot that purportedly do not get users high but are
believed to alleviate life-threatening seizures in children
with epilepsy.
Tat new law, backed by the sherifs association,
would allow doctors to order cannabis that is low in
euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and
high in cannabadiol, or CBD, for patients who sufer from
severe muscle spasms --- like the epileptic children --- or
cancer. Tis year was the frst that the GOP-controlled
Legislature gave any marijuana-related bills a vetting.
Te proposal before voters on Nov. 4 would also
allow caregivers to administer medical marijuana to up to
fve patients and require the Department of Health to issue
identifcation cards to patients eligible for the treatment
and to caregivers. Also, it would create a database of
patients and register medical marijuana treatment centers,
which would distribute the pot. Te amendment would
give the department six months to implement rules and
nine months to get the program up and running.
Some of the most-recent rows over the proposal
focus not on its merits but on the personalities involved.
John Morgan, an Orlando trial attorney who has spent
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nearly $4 million of his own money getting the proposal
onto the November ballot and pushing its passage, has
become a fashpoint in the debate over the measure.
Morgan --- Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Charlie
Crist's boss --- has been accused of maneuvering the
amendment onto the November ballot to propel Crist's
chances for victory.
But Morgan insists that he threw his support
behind the measure because of his father, who sufered
from cancer and emphysema, and his brother Tim,
partially paralyzed due to injuries sustained as a teen-aged
lifeguard when he dove into concrete pylons while trying
to rescue a swimmer. Joining his brother in promoting
the proposal, the wheelchair-bound Tim Morgan is open
about his use of marijuana to curb the pain and muscle
spasms caused by his injuries.
In one of many appearances around the state, John
Morgan was caught on tape delivering a boozy, expletive-
laced monologue to what appears to be a crowd of young
supporters at a bar afer a rally in the Lakeland area.
Te anti-Amendment 2 group quickly used
the tape to blast Morgan and the amendment, and the
Republican Party of Florida also jumped on the attack,
linking Morgan to Crist.
Te brash Morgan accuses Judd and other medical
marijuana naysayers of using a "1950s, reefer madness
mentality" to plant fear in the minds of voters.
He scofs when asked if passage will result in "a
joint in every backpack," something Jacksonville Sherif
John Rutherford frequently asserts. Te proposal does not
restrict doctors from ordering marijuana as a treatment
for patients under the age of 18, which opponents say is
yet another loophole.
"Sherif Rutherford doesn't understand reality. And reality
is that children have marijuana now. Tere's a school in
Orlando where it's so bad that they're now drug testing
the children and if you fail it twice you're kicked out,''
Morgan said.
Like other drugs, minors could not get orders for
weed flled without their parents' permission, amendment
proponents say. But Judd argues that parents who want
pot for themselves could get a doctor to order it for their
children, and he also refers to medical research showing
that marijuana can harm developing brains.
He rattles of a laundry list of other loopholes in
the amendment, each rejected by Mills or Morgan. Both
sides trot out statistics and medical experts to support
their positions.
Like Morgan, Judd also uses his personal experience in
the efort to kill the amendment, which he calls "a wolf in
sheep's clothing."
Legalizing pot will lead to more drug addiction,
which destroys families, Judd said, describing a typical
conversation he has had with parents over his four decades
in law enforcement. Tey say, 'Sherif, I've ran through
my insurance money. I've ran through all my savings. My
child's out on the street some place tonight and I'm scared
they're going to die. Would you please go fnd them and
arrest them because at least I'll know they're safe in jail?'"
Judd said. "You don't need many of those phone calls to
have your fll of them for a lifetime, and I get them on
a normal basis. And if there's anything I can do to stop
someone from being addicted to marijuana or any drug, if
there's anything I can do to stop that to help comfort and
care for those families. I'm going to do it."
But for Morgan and Mills, giving patients the
option of a less-addictive treatment --- pot --- than strong
narcotics like OxyContin is a no-brainer. "Right now
you can go to a doctor for a hangnail and a doctor can
prescribe you OxyContin. A crooked doctor is as bad as a
crooked lawyer and as bad as a crooked cop. If a crooked
doctor was going to prescribe medical marijuana or
OxyContin for a hangnail, which one would you rather
him prescribe? Which one is the lesser of two evils?
One kills 16,000 people a year and hooks hundreds of
thousands and destroys millions of lives. Te other hasn't
ever killed a person," Morgan said. "I'm a heck of a lot
more worried about the pharmaceuticals that we take that
are poisonous."
A
MENDMENT 3 COULD DETERMINE FUTURE
OF COURT- THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE,
October 15, 2014.......... A low-profle ballot
proposal that supporters say would avert a constitutional
crisis but opponents say is nothing more than thinly-veiled
partisan power grab is headed to voters in November,
possibly with the future of the Florida Supreme Court at
stake.
Amendment 3 would essentially grant an outgoing
governor the right to appoint replacements for Supreme
Court justices and District Courts of Appeal judges who
leave ofce at the same time as the governor does.
It comes afer years of heated battles over the high
court, which has served as one of the last barriers to the
Republican agenda in Tallahassee. And it comes against
the backdrop of an election between Republican Gov.
Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist, his Democratic
rival, that could decide which governor gets to make the
appointments in 2019.Tat has lef critics suspicious of
the motives of Republican lawmakers who approved it.
Legislative Report Continued
"We think that this is politicizing the way that the court
works," said former Republican Sen. Alex Villalobos, who
has sometimes butted heads with his party since leaving
ofce.
At the center of the issue are three justices --- R. Fred
Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince --- who are
part of the court's lef-of-center majority. Tat voting bloc,
which ofen decides controversial cases on a 5-2 margin,
has frustrated GOP lawmakers and governors for years.
Lewis, Pariente and Quince will reach the
mandatory retirement age for justices before their next
retention election, meaning they will have to step aside
in early 2019. Tat will happen at the same time that the
governor elected in the November 2018 elections is taking
ofce.
As it stands now, according to Senate Judiciary
Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, it is unclear who would
have to power to appoint replacement justices --- the
outgoing governor or the incoming governor. Te
proposed constitutional amendment, if approved, would
give that power to the outgoing governor. "Te Senate
Judiciary Committee thoroughly researched the Florida
Constitution and case law surrounding the flling of
court vacancies and concluded that, under the Florida
Constitution and case law, either governor is arguably
authorized to make these appointments," Lee wrote in an
op-ed distributed to media members.
Former Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead
and others say that fies in the face of a 2006 advisory
opinion from the Supreme Court that "a vacancy exists
upon the expiration of the term of the judge or justice."
Anstead, who was a member of the court that unanimously
approved the opinion, said that means the new governor
gets to make the appointment."What's wrong with that?"
he asked. "We have lived with that at least 40 years, and
nothing terrible has happened to us."
But Lee pointed to a 1955 case involving county
judges in which the Supreme Court ruled that the
outgoing governor's appointments were valid. Tat ruling
occurred before the adoption of the merit-retention
process for appeals court judges in Florida, though Lee
said the current rules are "substantially the same" now.
"Te stakes will be immeasurably higher in 2019 when
the dispute involves three Supreme Court vacancies,"
Lee wrote. He also highlighted logistical issues in having
the new governor make the appointments. "Even if the
appointments could be made on the incoming governor's
inauguration day in 2019, the Supreme Court would likely
not be fully functional for weeks as the new appointees
close existing law practices, relocate to Tallahassee and get
up to speed with their new duties," Lee wrote.
Anstead said existing justices or judges from the
state's district courts of appeal can be appointed by the
chief justice to serve as acting justices --- something that
briefy happened, for instance, at the end of Anstead's
fnal term to allow him to wrap up some cases.
Lewis, Pariente and Quince have been in the
middle of a political storm for several years now. In 2011,
in the wake of several court decisions that went against the
Legislature, then-House Speaker Dean Cannon proposed
splitting the Supreme Court into two panels and putting
those three justices on the court that would handle
criminal cases --- not challenges to the Legislature's
authority.Tat plan was killed in the Senate.
In 2012, when the three justices faced their last
merit-retention election --- in which a candidate runs for
re-election, but not against an opponent --- the Republican
Party of Florida formally opposed the justices. All three
still easily won another term.
Coincidentally, Quince was appointed in 1998
during a change in administrations from outgoing
Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles to incoming Republican
Gov. Jeb Bush. Afer Bush argued that he had the right
to name the next justice, he and Chiles agreed to jointly
appoint Quince.
Business groups like the Florida Chamber of
Commerce, ofen closely allied with the Republican
Party, and the Florida Council of 100 have supported the
proposed constitutional amendment.
"Florida can't aford to let its highest courts fall victim
to uncertainty and doubt if it wants to continue to shine
as a prime location for doing business," Susan Pareigis,
president and CEO of the council, said in a news release.
Tey have been countered in the low-level fght by interest
groups that have traditionally opposed GOP eforts on the
courts and elections, such as the League of Women Voters
of Florida.
Anstead said he's concerned that allowing an
outgoing governor to appoint the justices to the
court will remove the accountability that would face a
governor who would later seek a second term. Anstead
said he's "not cynical, but no dummy" when it comes
to whether politics is at play.
"If there is partisanship here, it appears to be something of
a gamble that Governor Scott will be re-elected," he said.
But Lee said the uncertainty about the battle between
Scott and Crist is the reason to change things now."Voting
'yes' on Amendment 3 avoids all these questions before we
know which political party will be positively or negatively
impacted," he wrote.
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C
OURT ALLOWS INSPECTION OF CELL
PHONE IN TRAFFIC DEATH An appeals court
Monday ruled that defendants in a wrongful-
death case can inspect the cell phone of a driver killed in a
trafc accident to determine if she was using it at the time
of the crash.
Te case stems from the September 2012 death
of Tabitha Frances Guyton Antico. Tough Monday's
opinion from the 1st District Court of Appeal did not
provide details of the accident, news reports from the time
indicate Antico, 18, of Lake City, died afer she collided
with a truck in Suwannee County. Antico's estate fled
a wrongful-death case against Sindt Trucking, Inc., and
James Paul Williams. A circuit judge agreed to allow the
defendants to use an expert to inspect Antico's cell phone
data to determine if she might have been distracted at the
time of the crash.
Te estate appealed, arguing such an inspection
could violate privacy rights. But a three-judge panel upheld
the circuit judge's ruling, which also put conditions on
the inspection. "Te trial court didnt allow the inspection
simply because respondents (the defendants) made
assertions that decedent was on her cell phone, or because
the decedent happened to possess a cell phone in her car,''
said the 11-page opinion, written by appeals-court Judge
Timothy Osterhaus and joined by Chief Judge Joseph
Lewis and Judge Brad Tomas.
"Tis case does not involve an unanchored fshing
expedition as petitioner (the estate) alleges. Rather,
respondents supported their motion to inspect the cell
phone with specifc evidence. Respondents cited cell
phone records showing that the decedent was texting
just before the accident; two witnesses indicated that the
decedent may have used her cell phone at the time of the
accident; and troopers responding to the accident lent
support to the conclusion that the decedent was using
her cell phone when the accident occurred. Additionally,
no one has disputed that the decedents smart phone may
contain very relevant information."
S
ATANIC TEMPLE TO APPLY FOR HOLIDAY
DISPLAY IN THE CAPITOL
Te New York-based Satanic Temple wants to
bring some of its holiday cheer to the Florida Capitol,
afer being turned away last year. Te Satanic Temple
announced Wednesday that "in a gesture of seasonal
spirit and good will" it will ask the state Department of
Management Services to accept the same display for the
Capitol's frst-foor rotunda that was rejected a year ago
as being "grossly ofensive." "We feel our holiday display
sends a very important, afrmative message that goes
above and beyond that of superfcial season's greetings,"
the temple's Lucien Greaves said in a release. "It's a
message of religious freedom, and church-state separation
expressed in the states neutrality." Ben Wolf, a spokesman
for the Department of Management Services, said in an
email Wednesday that the agency has yet to receive the
application.
Te agency limits the height of displays based
on where they are located in the rotunda and prohibits
displays from blocking permanent memorials such as
the Civil Rights and Veterans halls of fame. Also, the
department will allow displays as long as there is available
space, but has rules against noise and impeding ofcial
business.
Te department decided in May to maintain
its mostly open-door, frst-come, frst-served policy on
Capitol displays afer a number of diverse exhibits dotted
the Capitol rotunda during the 2013 holiday season.
Te ofen irreverent displays, which included
a pole made of empty beer cans to mark the sitcom-
created Festivus holiday and a shredded pile of paper
that was supposed to resemble the deity of the Church
of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, came in response to the
state approving a pair of Christian nativity scenes for the
Capitol. Te Satanic Temple had proposed a diorama of
an angel falling into hell bannered with the phrase "Happy
holidays from the Satanic Temple."
R
ED-LIGHT CAMERA CITATIONS TARGETED
BY COURT. Siding with a motorist in a dispute
about red-light cameras, an appeals court
Wednesday said the city of Hollywood violated state law
by relying on a private company to issue trafc citations to
red-light runners.
Te decision by the 4th District Court of Appeal
reversed an April decision by the same court. It came afer
the Florida Supreme Court in June ruled in two other red-
light camera cases that dealt with whether cities followed
state trafc laws. Te Hollywood case was fled by motorist
Eric Arem, who received a notice that a camera caught
him failing to comply with a red-light signal.
Arem did not respond and then received a trafc
citation generated by American Trafc Solutions, Inc., a
company that had a contract with Hollywood to provide
cameras and other related services. A county judge found
that Hollywood had improperly delegated responsibilities
to the private company and dismissed the citation.
A three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed
Wednesday, describing a process in which the company
Legislative Report Continued
screened potential red-light violations and then sent
images to the city, where a "trafc infraction enforcement
ofcer" clicked a digital button to accept enforcement.
A company computer then sent out notices of
violation and, if motorists did not respond, generated
citations sent to the motorists.
Te nine-page ruling, written by Judge Mark
Klingensmith and joined by judges Carole Taylor and
Burton Conner, said state law does not authorize a private
vendor to issue citations. "Such outsourcing to a third-
party for-proft vendor of a citys statutorily mandated
obligation to issue uniform trafc citations for red light
camera violations is contrary to the plain wording of the
Florida Statutes,'' the ruling said
F
rom the MRF:
Its been a slow week for Congress, with most of the
energy in the room being sucked into immigration
issues and foreign afairs. Both of which are important,
but it leaves me with very little to wrap up.
Checkpoint Bill
Te House checkpoint bill (H.R. 1861) is up to 51 co-
sponsors and the Senate version (S. 2078) has four.
Black Box Privacy Bills
Te House version (H.R. 1462) has 17 co-sponsors and
the Senate version (S. 1925) has 24.
Ethanol Bill
Te bill that we support with the ethanol viability study
(H.R. 875) has 24 co-sponsors. Te more popular ethanol
bill (H.R. 1462) is an all out ban of E-15 bill and it has 79
co-sponsors. Te Senate version of that bill (S. 344) has 5
co-sponsors.
August Recess
Use the upcoming August recess to attend a town hall or
have a sit down with your elected ofcials at the federal
level, when they are back home. Its an easy way to get in
a visit without having to come to D.C. Contact your local
district ofce for schedules.
Y
ou can't make this stuf up
FORT WAYNE, Indiana (CBS Cleveland)
Usually when someone says Jesus take the wheel
its meant to help them through a rough patch in life. But
police say an Indiana woman took the phrase literally on
July 11th, when she took her hands of the steering wheel
as she was driving.
Te Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette reports 25-year-
old Prionda Hill told authorities she let go of the wheel
because God told her he would take it from here.
Unfortunately for Anthony Olivery, her car veered of the
road and slammed into his motorcycle, throwing him to
the ground. Ten the car ran over him. When I looked at
that bumper and looked at that tire, I told myself, today is
the day you die, he told the paper.
Te accident broke all of Oliverys ribs on his
lef side, cut his spleen, bruised his kidney and caused
severe injuries to his lef arm and leg. Hill kept on going,
according to court records, hitting a pickup truck twice
and only stopping when her car crashed into an island
between two fast food restaurants several blocks away
from where she struck Olivery. Ofcials say she told
ofcers she had a prescription for Vicodin.
Tough still in constant pain from the accident,
Olivery, an experienced rider, told the Journal-Gazette he
is grateful it wasnt worse. You have no idea, even though
how badly I was beaten up, at that point how ecstatic I was
that I was still alive, he said.
Hill was arrested and charged with failure to stop
afer an accident and criminal recklessness with a deadly
weapon.
Highway Funding Bill Clears Congress
Te United States Congress has agreed on a
temporary patch for the highway trust fund, reports the
Motorcycle Riders Foundation. Te Senate agreed to
the House version of the temporary funding fx for the
highway trust fund.
Te fx came just hours before the United States
Department of Transportation would have had to cut of
payments for highway construction projects and mass
transit programs. Te quick fx will keep the trust fund
solvent through mid May of 2015.
Te fnal Senate vote ended a week of legislative
ping ponging between the House and Senate. Te
Senate wanted to modify the legislation so it would
expire in December of 2014, thus forcing a vote on a
larger highway bill that would address the trust fund
issues before the end of this year. Te House defeated
that legislation, sending its own version to be passed
by the Senate, that will run through May and spends
$10.8 billion.Te temporary patch kicks the larger
issues into the next Congress to be sworn in next year.
Quote of the week: Let us not seek the Republican
answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let
us not seek to fx the blame for the past. Let us accept our
own responsibility for the future. John F. Kennedy.
Legislative Report Continued
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710 NE 25th Avenue
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(239) 573-9990
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MEETING MINUTES -10/05/2014
ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC. SOUTHWEST CHAPTER GENERAL MEETING @ HARLEY DAVIDSON FT. MYERS

CALLED TO ORDER @ 10:17 am
Anyone besides secretary taking notes? No.
Please silence cell phones.
Salute fag/Pledge & Moment of silence for the fallen
Welcome guest and new members
Started meeting with guest speaker, Don Armstrong whom
currently holds the Distric 4 seat on the Lee County School
Board.
PRESIDENTS REPORT: VICTOR PIORKOWSKI
1. Tank you Mr. Armstrong for coming and speaking with us
today.
2. Cape Coral Bike Night on October 11th. Need volunteers to
help with booth. Victor and Richard will be attending the state
meeting.
3. Will be setting up a booth at Hallowheels, October 4th in
North Ft. Myers.
VICE PRESIDENT: RICHARD LEON
1. Te newsletter will be late due to computor problems.
2. Still have rafe tickets to sell.
3. State Meeting we will be hosting February 14th, Valentines
Day.
A) Dolphin Resort for the rooms
B) Food is locked down
C) Place for meeting is still undecided
SECRETARYS REPORT: LAURIE HANLEY
1. Report will be carried over till next meeting.
TREASURER REPORT: GWYNNE HICKMAN
1. Gave report on current balance.
2. Motion to accept report by Bife Davis, 2nd by Teddy Bear.
All in favor.
SARGENT AT ARMS: SHAYNE HANLEY
1. Need help at the Cape Coral Bike Night.
MEMBERSHIP: LYNNE DAVIS
2 renewals 3 new memberships
LEGISLATIVE TRUSTEE: KEN TEDDY BEAR MILLER
1. Report in newsletter.
2. Need everyone to get out and vote in November.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Vote on rather to keep contract with the Daytona campground.
Results as follows: yeas none nays all
Our president will therefore take a no vote to state meeting.
2. Vote on location of monthly meetings, new Harley Davidison
or somewhere else. Te vote will be tabled until next meeting.
Our November meeting will be held at the Harley Davidisons
new location at Treeline and Daniels.
3. Christmas Run. Still working on details.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. If anyone knows of someone or business who wants to
advertise with us, let Victor know.
FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER:
Anyone who wants to ride, meet out in the parking lot, afer
the meeting.
TIME OF ADJOURNMENT: 11:25am
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FLORIDAS LEE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION
Te Honorable Matt Caldwell, Chair, District 79
T. Wayne Miller Jr. Building,
15191 Homestead Road, Lehigh Acres Fl 33971
(239) 694-0161. Matt.Caldwell@myforidahouse.gov.
Legislative Assistant: Charlotte Gammie.
District Assistant: Priscilla Bezerra.
Tallahassee Ofce: 402 House Ofce Building,
402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399. | (850) 717-5079.
Te Honorable Lizbeth Benacquisto, Vice Chair, District 30
1926 Victoria Avenue, 2nd Floor, Fort Myers, Fl 33901
(239) 338-2570. Benacquisto.Lizbeth.web@fsenate.gov.
Legislative Assistant: Matthew Hunter, Dane Bennett, Tamara Holliday.
Tallahassee Ofce: 330 Senate Ofce Building,
404 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399. (850) 487-5030.

Te Honorable Garrett Richter, District 23
32999 East Tamaimi Trail, Suite 203, Naples, Fl 34112.
(239) 417-6205. Richter.Garrett.web@fsenate.gov.
Legislative Assistant: Becky Kokkinos, Michael Nachef, Sandra Mummert.
Tallahassee Ofce: 404 Senate Ofce Building, 404 South Monroe Street.
Tallahassee, Fl 32399. (850) 487-5023.

Te Honorable Dane Eagle, District 77
1039 SE 9th Place, Room 310, Cape Coral, Fl 33990. | (239) 772-1291. Dane.
Eagle@myforidahouse.gov.
Legislative Assistant: Paige Biagi. District Assistant: Vacant
Tallahassee Ofce: 1302 Te Capitol,
402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399. (850) 717-5077.
Te Honorable Heather Fitzenhagen, District 78
2120 Main Street, Suite 208, Fort Myers, Fl 33901.
(239) 533-2440. Heather.Fitzenhagen@myforidahouse.gov.
(mailto: Heather.Fitzenhagen@myforidahouse.gov)
Legislative Assistant: Edward Metzger.
District Assistant: Christine Deramo.
Tallahassee Ofce: 1302 Te Capitol,
402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399. (850) 717-5078.
Te Honorable Ray Rodrigues, District 76
Alico Lake Commons,
17595 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 218, Fort Myers, Fl 33908.
(239) 433-6501. Ray.Rodrigues@myforidahouse.gov.
Legislative Assistant: James Mullen. District Assistant: Jasmine Villanueva.
Tallahassee Ofce: 1302 Te Capitol, 402 South Monroe Street,
Tallahassee, Fl 32399. (850) 717-5076.
Lee County Delegation Ofce: (239) 694-0161.
T. Wayne Miller Building,
15191 Homestead Road, Lehigh Acres, Fl 33971.
Ofce of Governor Rick Scott
State of Florida, Te Capitol,
400 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399-0001.
(850) 488-7146. www.fgov.com/contact-gov-scott.
Ofce of Lt. Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera
State of Florida, Te Capitol,
400 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399-0001.
(850) 488-4711. www.fgov.com/email-the-lt-governor.
Florida Senate web site: www.fsenate.gov.
Ofce of Senate President Don Gaetz
404 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399-1100. (850) 487-5229.
www.fsenate.gov/Ofces/President. Chief of Staf: Chris Clark.
Florida House of Representatives web site: www.myforidahouse.gov.
Ofce of Speaker of the House Will Weatherford
402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Fl 32399-1300.
(850) 717-5038. Will.Weatherford@myforidahouse.gov.
Legislative Assistant: Joy Hampton, Ralph Lair.
White House web site: www.whitehouse.gov.
Ofce of the President of the United States of America Barack Obama
Te Whitehouse, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20500.
Comments: (202) 456-1111. Switchboard: (202) 456-1414.
NOTE: You can write to President Obama or Vice President Joe Biden at the above
address. Due to the volume of correspondence the Whitehouse does not respond
to every letter or email. However, your correspondence may be referred to another
government agency for a response.
President: president@whitehouse.gov.
Vice President: vice_president@whitehouse.gov.
Comments: comments@whitehouse.gov.
Write a letter to the President :
Here are a few simple things you can do to make sure your message gets to the
White House as quickly as possible.
1. If possible, email us! Tis is the fastest way to get your message to President
Obama or Vice President Biden.
2. If you write a letter, please consider typing it on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of
paper. If you hand-write your letter, please consider using pen and writing as
neatly as possible.
3. Please include your return address on your letter as well as your envelope. If
you have an email address, please consider including that as well.
4. And fnally, be sure to include the full address of the White House to make
sure your message gets to us as quickly and directly as possible:
Te White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW , Washington, DC 20500
United States Senate web site: www.senate.gov.
United States Senate President: Vice President Joe Biden
United States Senate President Pro Tempore: Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
437 Russell Senate Building, United States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510.
(202) 224-4242. www.leahy.senate.gov/contact.
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, D-FL
716 Hart Senate Ofce Building, Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5274 Contact: www.billnelson.senate.gov/contact-bill.
Fort Myers Ofce: 2000 Main Street, Suite 801, Fort Myers, FL 33901.
Phone: 239-334-7760. Fax: 239-334-7710.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, (R-FL)
284 Russell Senate Ofce Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3041.Contact: www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact.
United States House of Representatives web site: www.house.gov
U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R, FL-17
Washington DC Ofce:
221 Cannon HOB, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5792, Fax: (202) 225-3132
Punta Gorda Ofce:
226 Taylor Street, Suite 230, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
(941) 575-9101, Fax: (941) 575-9103
Contact Congressman Rooney thru his Congressional web site.
FL-19: Vacant
Washington DC Ofce: 1123 Longworth HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-2536.
Cape Coral District Ofce:
804 Nicholas Pkwy, East, Suite 1, Cape Coral, Fl. 33990
(239) 573-5837.
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ABATE of Florida, Inc.
Southwest Chapter
PO Box 60745 Fort Myers, FL 33906
Southwest.abateforida.com
ADVERTISING RATE SCHEDULE
AND APPLICATION
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