Someone–I think it was Mark–was ranting about how Manchin wants to repeal the state helmet law for motorcycles. How there are more important issues for the state to be dealing with, and so on and so forth.

Now, despite the fact that I’m getting my Master’s in Public Health–a department that uniformly wants to extend the existing law to ATVs–I don’t agree with helmet laws. If you’re stupid enough to ride without a helmet, then by all means, please do so and take yourself out of the gene pool.

But, as many point out, such injuries have a public cost, which is the cost of health care for those who suffer traumatic brain injuries. A large burden, especially if the injured party has inadequate health insurance, or lacks health insurance entirely.

So I had a thought.

Let’s repeal the helmet law, but add in a few caveats. First, you’ll have to get a special license plate for your bike if you want to ride without a helmet. That license will cost you an extra, say, $500 a year–money that goes straight into the state Medicaid fund. Second, the list of owners who want the option of riding helmetless is to be made available to all insurance companies. And those insurance companies will be given the right to increase the premiums of those choose to ride helmetless. I think that capping those increases at 300% should be sufficient.

And the fine for riding without a helmet on an unlicensed bike would be something like $1000 and a suspension of your license for a year.

It’s perfect. We’ll help shore up the Medicaid system, and the extra money going to the insurance companies should allows them to decrease rates for everyone else.

It’s a win-win situation!

Now all I have to do is convince the WV legislature.