Texas' legislature hammered out some bills including one mandating a 3-foot clearance between passing cars and bicycles during their 2009 session. Just days after taking a fall from his bike that broke his collarbone, Rick Perry vetoed this bill. Burnt Orange report, like me, wondered why. At least one Texan's done more than wonder. She filed a FOIA, which revealed very few letters, emails or phone calls opposing the bill -- but one of them was written by a Kenneth Bain, who might be a TAMU classmate of Perry's and/or the father of a man currently out on bail for a double-fatality car-vs.-bike crash. The Dallas Morning News carried a photo of the SUV that killed two bicyclists last year.

Police say he hit and killed Mansfield bicyclists Meredith Hatch, 38, and 36-year-old Mike Alfaro. The pair, who were members of a cycling group, was out near Joe Pool Lake training for an event.

Police say Kenneth Bain failed a field sobriety test and was placed under arrest. While at the scene police drew blood to determine his alcohol level. One investigator reportedly said Bain admitted to drinking at a bachelor party a few hours before the accident.

Charges were originally two counts of intoxication manslaughter.

Bain is charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter. His bond has been set at $50,000, but he could bail out with just $5,000.

How is it that those were reduced to manslaughter?

Member of the Bain family believe the official blood alcohol test will clear Kenneth of the intoxication charges. "When I was with him them after it [the accident] happened, there was no indication to me that he was inebriated or anything," said Ken Bain Sr.

Kenneth Bain was released from jail on Sunday after posting $50,000 bond. According to his family and police he has no prior police history.

Police should have the results of Bain's blood alcohol test in about two weeks.

Here's more from an Austin source:

In an attempt to understand the veto, Luciano submitted an open records request under the Texas Public Information Act. Perry must have had some good reason, she thought – some convincing argument or overwhelming public outcry against the bill. "I asked for every letter, e-mail, phone call, visit, or concern about the bill," she said. She got a surprising response. Of all public communication Perry received on the bill, 2,244 were for it and only 87 against. Only one of the letters opposed the bill. As for the e-mails, she said, "It looked like 50 were against it, but seven of those were on [an unrelated bill], one of those was counted four times, one was counted twice, and one was actually a proponent." As for phone calls, the office only recorded the number of calls. Describing her own experience, she said: "They didn't ask what your name is, they didn't ask if you're a legitimate constituent or not, they just asked, 'Are you for SB 488 or against it? Thank you.' Click."

The bill wasn't carte blanche for bad cyclists, Luciano said, nor was Perry correct when he said existing laws are sufficient. She explained: "The prosecutors that helped author this bill told us the current statutes have no teeth. Essentially, if a car hits a cyclist and the car is at fault, they have not been able to prosecute because the wording of the statutes is vague and there is no clear-cut definition of safe passage."

Connected? Quien sabe? Perry's out of his sling now. Maybe he doesn't ride on the streets?