WASHINGTON – Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) was today named the Champion Legislator of the Year by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. In his first full term as the U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 12^th Congressional District, Balderson—a member of the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus—has already introduced multiple pieces of legislation that would directly support the hundreds of thousands of motorcycle riders in Ohio.

“In a representative government such as ours, it’s fundamentally important that Congress be made up of many different kinds of people, who all bring unique backgrounds and interests to the table,” said Balderson, an avid motorcyclist himself. “I’m proud to be one of the few motorcycle riders in Congress, as I personally understand the needs of riders across the country, including the thousands who live in my district. I’m honored to be named the Champion Legislator of the Year by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation; I’ll never stop working for the needs of Ohio’s fellow riders.”

Balderson, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, fought for the needs of Ohio’s motorcycle riders during the committee’s June review of surface transportation reauthorization legislation, including the INVEST in America Act. Balderson submitted an amendment that would have included motorcyclists in a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) study on safe interactions between automated vehicles and road users. Another Balderson amendment would have prevented the profiling of motorcyclists through the use of motorcycle-specific checkpoints.

Last year, Balderson co-authored the Motorcycle Advisory Council Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation that would extend the Motorcycle Advisory Council (MAC) at the DOT for 6 years. The legislation also outlines clear guidelines of operation, including a requirement that the council submit recommendation reports to DOT every two years, and clarification of the makeup of the council to include highway engineering experts from state or local governments, a traffic safety engineer who is a motorcyclist, a roadway safety data expert on crash testing and analysis, and other transportation, motorcycle, and safety experts.

Most recently, Balderson introduced a resolution to recognize July 11^th as ‘Antique Motorcycle Enthusiast Day.’ The resolution celebrates those who restore and ride antique motorcycles, what these motorcycles represent in American history, and the jobs supported by the restoration of these bikes.

“Congressman Balderson has been a true champion for our nation’s motorcyclists,” said Kirk Willard, Motorcycle Riders Foundation President. “His work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has been invaluable to the protection of the rights and freedoms of the more than 8 million riders nationwide. We are honored to present him with our Champion Legislator Award for 2020.”

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