Bill to repeal helmet law is introduced again
Bill to repeal helmet law is introduced again
Term limits may bring new life to the often-defeated efforts to repeal Nebraska’s motorcycle helmet law.
Freshman State Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont introduced a helmet-repeal bill today.
Last year’s attempt failed by just two votes. Since then, term limits has removed nine opponents and seven supporters of the idea – a two-vote swing.
It’s unclear how the 16 new senators align on the issue, but Janssen feels he’s got a good chance. Janssen’s uncle, former State Sen. Ray Janssen, is a helmet law-repeal foe removed from the Legislature last year.
“We’ve got new senators with new ideas,” Charlie Janssen said.
Legislative Bill 200 would repeal the helmet requirement for all motorcycle riders 21 or older. Younger riders would be required to wear helmets, unless they passed a state-sponsored safety course.
All riders would be required to have eye protection, either goggles or a windshield.
Janssen said it’s a freedom of choice issue and an economic booster, since it might bring more motorcycle riders to Nebraska, which is surrounded by states that don’t require helmets.
The senator said that while it’s probably safer to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle, it’s also probably safer to wear a helmet while driving a car or truck.
“But I don’t see people pushing that,” he said.
State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, who opposes repealing the law, said last year’s two-vote defeat of a repeal effort might have been deceiving – senators can lend their support to a politically charged issue when they know it’s going to lose.
If there was a “hard vote” on the issue, it’s hard to tell how it would go, Lathrop said.
