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Bicycle Safety Legislation
Dear Friends, A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to stand in the company of Kendra Payne’s family, friends, local bike clubs, and community members, at press conferences held in Santa Barbara at the County Courthouse and in Ventura at City Hall. We announced the introduction of legislation to require a motor vehicle to have at least 3 feet of clearance to pass a bicyclist. Assembly Bill 1941 (Nava), A Measure of Safety Law, was introduced in honor of UCSB triathlete Kendra Chiota Payne, who was tragically struck on January 11, 2006, by a passing vehicle which came too close to her on Gibraltar Road in Santa Barbara. The current law does not specify an exact distance; it just states that there should be a safe distance between a bicyclist and a motor vehicle passing on the left. The tragic death of Kendra highlights the need for legislation requiring a defined safe passing distance between a motor vehicle and bicyclists. I am deeply honored to carry this legislation in her memory in order to prevent more tragedies from occurring. Kendra's family and friends attended the press conferences and showed their support for this important legislation. Rick Payne, Kendra's father, said, "Nothing can bring Kendra back, but we need to do everything we can to prevent this from happening again. You should take this personally. It's not just someone else's daughter. Next time this could be you, or your daughter, or someone you know." Currently there are laws in Arizona, Minnesota, Utah, and Wisconsin that require at least 3 feet of clearance for a vehicle to pass a bicyclist. I encourage all community members to inform their friends and family in the community and around the state to write letters of support for this important legislation to my office and their respective legislators. We need your help! Please show your support for AB 1941!
COMMUNITY EVENTS
RECENT EVENTS Disaster Preparedness Hearings Santa Barbara - Last fall, Assemblymember Pedro Nava helped coordinate six hearings on behalf of Speaker Fabian Nuņez including the participation of ten Assembly committees. Mr. Nava presided over an informational hearing in Santa Barbara which was held jointly by the Assembly Governmental Organization and Veterans Affairs Committee, and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #5 on Informational Technology and Transportation. This hearing examined state and local agencies' emergency response to natural and man-made disasters. The committees seek to ask the critical questions before a disaster strikes and then fill the gaps that exist in our emergency readiness through subsequent legislation. At the November 10, 2005, hearing in Santa Barbara County's Board of Supervisors' Chamber, the committee heard testimony from a wide variety of emergency services personnel from Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Fire, law enforcement, county and state health, and port officials testified on their disaster response plans and areas that need improvement. As a result of these hearings, several lawmakers, including Assemblymember Nava, will be authoring a variety of bills that will improve the ability of local and state officials, as well as residents, to respond to disasters. This will be in addition to the new disaster relief laws signed by the Governor. |
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Email: Assemblymember.Nava@assembly.ca.gov Web Site: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/nava If you wish to no longer receive email notifications please click the following link to UNSUBSCRIBE |
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