Assemblyman Don Gustavson, R-Reno, introduced Assembly Bill 87, which would allow people age 21 and older to ride motorcycles without helmets. He failed with similar legislation during the 1997 and 1999 legislative sessions. We are going to fight until it passes. He said he has talked with members in both the Senate and Assembly and feels confident he has enough votes to repeal the helmet law. But Assembly Transportation Chairwoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, said Gustavson continues to ignore the financial effect the bill would have on the state budget.
Some brain injuries suffered by motorcyclists cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat.
As a responsible legislator, I have to look at it. Gustavson is again seeking to repeal the helmet law, although he said two years ago that he never would be able to pass the proposal out of the Transportation Committee as long as Chowning remained chairwoman. He contended that states like California lost millions of dollars in sales tax revenue when they started requiring riders to wear helmets. People simply stopped buying motorcycles, he said. Chowning maintained she believes in personal freedom, but it is paramount for legislators to look at the fiscal effect of all legislation on the taxpayers.