Executive Report - May 2026

John Reblin

All Kinds of Things Going on Now

I was talking with our Administrative Assistant, Marie, about how things were going in the office. I brought up things like was she busy, what was she working on now, how memberships were going, etc. She responded she was keeping very busy with projects from others in the organization which is a good thing. It means we are moving ahead trying to achieve our goals. Things are getting busy with the warmer weather; the Hummer is getting ready to start, and we are in the middle of planning as we are hosting the Meeting of the Minds - Wisconsin style. We also are watching what is happening legislatively and how elections may affect us in the future.

Talking about the Meeting of the Minds, I just got back from attending STEAM, A Seminar To Educate and Motivate, that was hosted by ABATE of Minnesota. This seminar is Friday evening and all day Saturday, finishing off the day’s event with a banquet and auction. The topics we discussed on Friday evening were what was going on in each state legislatively and things we are working on. It seems the other States have the same concerns as we do with the lack of acceptable fuels being available, the use of level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles on public roads and being able to get our motorcycles repaired hoping that the tools and technology would be available if we could not or did not want to go to the dealership. Surprisingly, many of the States have concerns about the electric bicycles that the kids are using. Steve and I thought this was not our issue to worry about. You can be the grumpy old guy on the porch yelling at the kids riding them but if they are not considered a motorcycle let the State and bicycle people deal on how they are going to enforce the laws on them.

After the Friday session was the fundraiser and for me more importantly was talking with other States to see what other things were going on, how membership and financials were doing, and how their Summer State parties are dealing with bands, attendance, and other things. I also talked about what else they fear coming down the road legislatively.

Saturday was the Federal Legislative Agenda and what was going on in DC given by both Rocky Fox from the MRF and our own Hardtail. Even though it has not changed much over the years, this is the year we have the best chance of getting movement with our wants through the Highway Bill.

Other Breakouts I found interesting that were being covered was getting the youngsters involved like our Jr. Patriots program. They had some interesting information that I grabbed and will share with John Stumpner and Marie at the office.

I was also interested in how they are working towards getting riders to continue their rider education. What they have tried is when someone takes a Beginner Rider Course to get their license, they contact them later in the year and offer a scholarship to pay for a follow-up course to make sure they continue to improve their knowledge. It is in its third year, and the return rate of the riders is at 3 percent, but it is a start and could take off if they stay in contact with the riders for a few more years urging them to continue rider education.

Steve Panten and I met with Secretary Boardman, Deputy Secretary Lawry, and the head of the Bureau of Transportation Safety, Jessica Wagner. We discussed what is happening on the roads in Wisconsin, not only with motorcycle crashes but also other modes of transportation. We shared our concerns with the cost of the rider education courses like the Rider Skills training course and the lack of BRC2 courses in the area. They agreed on these matters along with other topics of conversation. It was a good discussion that gives us insight into what we need to work on and hopefully will keep the door of conversation open to working together on projects.

I also was able to meet with Senator Tammy Baldwin at a luncheon put on by Husch Blackwell that changed names now to HBS. This, as you all know, is part of the group that Rocky Fox works for in Washinton, DC. The reason I met her was to urge her to vote for the Transportation Bill with our items in the Bill that affects motorcycling. Senator Baldwin has been helpful for motorcyclists in the past and seemed to be willing to work with us on these items in the future. Time will tell as this massive Transportation Bill moves forward, but we work both sides of the aisle to achieve what we are looking for.

That’s it for now, remember the brat fry’s, awareness rallies, and all the fun runs are starting up along with other events. Support all your neighboring regions along with your own. Remember the funds raised are used to help you with your right to ride in Wisconsin.

John