URGENT

HB2377 is one of the mobile communication bills in the house that impacts
Ham radio, and it is heading to the House Floor for a vote in the next
7-10 days.

We need your help TODAY to try and defeat this bill. The only exemption
for Ham radio in the bill is during emergency or public service
activities.

Please write your representative and ask them to vote against the bill for
the following reasons:

1. It is poorly written.  The bill seeks to keep people focused on the
road but still allows people to takes their eyes off the road to dial and
program their phones.

2. Even Representatives on the committee were unsure during the Work
Session if the bill does what it is supposed to. Some believe could be
interpreted to exempt texting while others read the language differently.

3. One clause in the bill, allowing "activating or deactivating a mobile
device", is so vague it could allow nearly any activity depending on how
the phrase is interpreted.

Because the bill is so poorly written, at this point it is not necessary
to be concerned about the effect on amateur radio in your arguments to
your State Representative.

You can find your legislator by visiting this site:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/

You can email your legislator directly from this form:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/writelegsltr/

NOTE: Please keep your arguments against the bill confined to the points
above. It is important to send a unified message, and to send a message
that has the best arguments against the bill. Remember, the goal is to get
a NO vote from members. At this point, the best argument for a NO vote is
that the bill is poorly written and vague. An argument solely based on Ham
radio's concerns is not going to convince legislators to vote NO.

Bonnie Altus, AB7ZQ
bonniealtus@onlinemac.com
ab7zq@arrl.net
ab7zq@winlink.org
Here is also, an audio link on the bill.  The .ram file requires Real Player to listen to it.
http://www.leg.state.or.us/listn/archive/archive.2009s/HTRANS-200904201243.ram
and Click here to receive the pdf amendments file to the bill HB2377