BRICK BY BRICK: Legislative Advocates Needed to Protect Automotive Freedoms
By Colby Martin, SEMA Action Network (SAN) Director
The future of our prized cars and trucks is being threatened! As the fight to defend our automotive pursuits continues, the necessity of involving the membership of American and Canadian car clubs in these efforts is as critical as ever. Vintage car enthusiasts represent an integral component in successfully reaching lawmakers in the U.S. and Canada with a unified message on important legislation. You, your fellow club members and friends can help guide the course of tomorrow’s laws.
The SEMA Action Network (SAN) has a proud history of collaborating with Canadian individuals and automotive organizations. Since 2007, the SAN has worked with the National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada (NAACC), the Canadian Specialty Vehicle Associations (such as SVAO), and others to identify and inform enthusiasts of legislative and regulatory proposals that will impact those in Canada. As a result of this collaboration, SAN forces have spread throughout both nations and continue to cover the spectrum of four-wheeled interests. Each legislative session, the SAN tracks and responds to hundreds of legislative initiatives affecting the classics of the past and the future. Some bills will not advance past introduction; others will go on to become the laws of tomorrow. As bills progress through the legislature, SAN members influence the fate of legislation through contacts with state and federal representatives. In the U.S., as few as five messages to individual lawmakers can sway votes on high-impact issues.
While narrowing down the group’s greatest success is difficult, a major win for the hobby came in 2009 when the U.S. Congress was persuaded to spare cars 25-years-old and older from the scrappage heap and expand parts recycling opportunities under the “Cash For Clunkers” program. The network has earned quite a number of other legislative victories at the state and federal levels as well. Significant strides have been made in the areas of titling and emissions requirements for collector vehicles, limiting vehicle and property tax increases, protecting backyard restoration projects, expanding registration plate options, increasing recreational access to public land and limiting federal and state-level ethanol fuel mandates.
Most recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a regulation to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally designed for on-road use into racecars. The SAN feels this proposal runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where the EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles. In fact, Congress has always prohibited the EPA from regulating competition vehicles. Ultimately, this issue caused the SAN’s allies in the U.S Congress to introduce the “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 (RPM Act)” in both the House and Senate. The RPM Act simply confirms that it has always been legal to perform such modifications and will erase any doubts that the exemption applies to racing parts. The SAN will continue to work with its Capitol Hill allies to find a solution and protect the tens of thousands of American racers and fans. By securing proper protection now, a goal is to prevent a proposal of this kind from being introduced in other nations.
On July 8, 2016, thousands worldwide paid tribute to the automobile in honor of the seventh annual Collector Car Appreciation Day (CCAD). Intended to honor the classics of the past and the future, a wide range of official events were held throughout July to commemorate the day. As in previous years, the occasion was designated by a SAN-requested U.S. Senate Resolution sponsored by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Jon Tester (D-MT). This document recognizes "that the collection and restoration of historic and classic cars is an important part of preserving the technological achievements and cultural heritage of the United States." With our hobby's "holiday" continuing to grow, lawmakers in states, provinces, counties and local areas all over each nation continue to issue their own resolutions to mark the day's significance in raising awareness of the vital role the automotive pastime plays in our society. In fact, the states of Louisiana, West Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian Provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, officially marked the occasion this year.
Thousands are already doing their part to heed the call and defend the future of this great hobby we all enjoy. However, many more front-line combatants are needed in the battle to keep our interests free from unnecessarily burdensome laws and regulations. Great strength comes with great numbers. Help reinforce this unified voice quickly and easily by enlisting without obligation at semaSAN.com/Join — no cost, SPAM or “catch.” Stay informed and brace for upcoming legislative battles. Reach out to fellow enthusiasts and inspire them to follow suit. With so much at stake, we must all keep the throttle pegged. The rallying cry for lasting automotive freedoms has never been never louder; awareness hasn’t been wider; and our momentum never greater. We look forward to counting you among this growing legion!
—Ignited We Stand!