Governor Gets Helmet Bill; Veto Probable

The Assembly, with no debate and not a Hells Angels member in sight, on Thursday passed and sent to the governor a bill to require all motorcycle riders to wear safety helmets.

The bill is nearly identical to one vetoed a year ago by Gov. George Deukmejian, and the governor indicated earlier this week that he will probably reject this measure as well.

That expectation likely accounted for the quiet swiftness with which the Assembly acted Thursday on an issue that in past years has generated long, acrimonious debates and prompted scores of motorcycle club members to encircle the Capitol in protest.

The bill, by Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Carson), was approved on a 41-20 vote, the bare majority needed for passage in the 80-member Assembly.

In addition to mandating the use of helmets, the measure would require the California Highway Patrol to report annually on whether helmets reduced injuries and deaths from motorcycle accidents. The helmet requirement would expire in 1994 unless extended by the Legislature.

Seeks a Meeting

Floyd, a combative, outspoken lawmaker who last year cursed Deukmejian on the Assembly floor after the governor vetoed his bill, said he will seek a face-to-face meeting with the Republican chief executive before he acts on the measure.

“I would like very much to sit down with him and have an opportunity one-on-one to discuss it,” Floyd told reporters. “I think if I get a chance to talk to him and he listens to other people, being a fair guy, he is going to sign it.”

Tom Beermann, a spokesman for Deukmejian, said the governor’s office had received Floyd’s request for a meeting but had not had “an opportunity to fully review it.”

Deukmejian has said he would favor requiring helmets for riders younger than 21, because “the majority of accidents involve young, relatively inexperienced operators.” Deukmejian reiterated his opposition to a broader mandate at a press conference Wednesday.

But Floyd, citing California Highway Patrol statistics, said only 23% of motorcycle accident deaths in the state in 1987 involved victims younger than 21.

“That leaves 77% who are over 21,” Floyd said. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

Still, Floyd estimated his chances of getting the governor to sign the bill are “1 in 99.” He said he expects the governor to be swayed by arguments from Republican opponents of the bill, celebrities and motorcycle club members who have spoken out against the legislation.

“The extreme conservatives on this floor in legion with the movie industry guys and the Hells Angels seem to be quite a combination,” he said.