SEMA News—August 2013

LEGISLATIVE AND TECHNICAL AFFAIRS
By Colby Martin

Ignited We Stand

SEMA Action Network Seeks Unified Voice to Strengthen Impact

As the fight to defend our automotive pursuits continues, the necessity of showcasing the SEMA Action Network’s (SAN) efforts to the specialty-equipment industry remains critical. SEMA-member businesses represent an integral component in successfully reaching lawmakers in the United States and Canada with a unified message on important legislation. You, your colleagues and customers can help guide the course of the future.

Each legislative session, the SAN tracks and responds to hundreds of legislative initiatives affecting the specialty-equipment industry and the consumers it serves. 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 instantly influence decisions through e-mails and phone calls to state or federal representatives. Often, as few as five messages to individual lawmakers can sway votes on high-impact issues.

The SAN recently launched a new and exciting promotional campaign—“Ignited We Stand!”—to encourage the growth of its grassroots network in size and influence. Many essential elements of the SAN have been re-imagined, including the award-winning publication Driving Force. Since the program’s inception, this publication has been a trusted digest to communicate information about the current legislative landscape around the nation.

Once a monthly publication, this newsletter is now being produced quarterly to give maximum impact to its legislative tools and trend analyses. However, the title is being supplemented by a new and more timely Driving Force Online, which is being transmitted to SAN members electronically every two weeks. Time-tested Action Alert e-mail messages are also being reformatted to enhance their impact as well. Urgent in nature, these alerts call constituents to speak out about automotive bills moving through the legislatures.

Thousands are already doing their part to heed the call and defend the future of this great industry and a pastime we all enjoy. Unfortunately, many more frontline combatants are needed in the battle to keep our businesses free from unnecessarily burdensome laws and regulations. You are encouraged to enlist in the SAN without fee or obligation at www.SEMAsan.com/join. We look forward to counting you among this growing force!

For more information, contact Colby Martin at 909-978-6721 or SAN@sema.org.