Recently, much of the drama in Washington D.C. has surrounded the office of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. While little will get done at the capitol while the Speaker’s office remains vacant, there is one Speaker of the House in New England whose ties to the motorcycle community run deep.
Sherman “Sherm” Packard was elected Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in January of 2021. Sherm has been a state legislator in New Hampshire since 1990 and a long-time champion for motorcyclists. Sherm is a member of the MRF Hall of Fame and a recipient of the prestigious John “Farmer” Eggers Award and those are just a small sample of the awards and recognition he has received.
Last month, at the 2023 MRF Meeting of the Minds in Harrisburg, PA, Sherm was the Saturday morning keynote speaker. He shared his amazing journey from a young biker to the powerful position he holds in the Granite State. The passion Sherm has for motorcycling, his fellow riders, and his work to protect the motorcycling lifestyle was on full display during his speech.
Much like the tight margins in the U.S. House, Sherm has just a handful of votes to spare during legislative voting in New Hampshire. Despite being a massive legislative body, with 400 members, Speaker Packard has just a 2-seat majority! Even with this slim edge, Sherm has been able to deliver big wins for his state and motorcyclists. Last year New Hampshire became the 5th state with a law prohibiting the profiling of bikers.
As Jay Jackson, MRF Vice President, said last year, “Sherm Packard was among the first in the motorcyclist rights community to become the ultimate grassroots lobbyist by getting elected to office. Now he has ascended to the highest position in the chamber, Speaker of the House. He is not merely a biker who got elected, he is a highly respected legislative leader who is also a biker. The people of New Hampshire, and motorcyclists nationwide, are truly blessed to have Sherm Packard representing them.”
While D.C. may be without a Speaker of the House, motorcyclists are not! The MRF is proud to call Speaker Packard one of our own.
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