Images: SEMA on Flickr

Although the kiddos have already gone back to school, the heat is still on as summer extends into the supposed cooler month of September. But Mother Nature’s wrath isn’t the only heat we’re enduring still this year as legislators all across the country continue to propose and pass laws against our beloved hobby. Lucky for us, the Specialty Equipment Market Association has their eye on the prize and continues to fight the good fight for the hot rod industry. Check out the latest legislative updates from this month’s SEMA Law & Order update below!

While the vast majority of us have to finish out the remainder of the year in our current careers, most legislators here in the States have already adjourned for the year. While this may not seem like the best case scenario for SEMA-approved legislative actions, the annual adjournment is benefiting hot rod enthusiasts in the form of SEMA-opposed legislation.

In Connecticut, for example, a SEMA-opposed bill aiming to raise the assessed value of “antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles” from a maximum of $500 to a maximum of $1,000 died when legislature recently adjourned for the year in the state.

Not only does this mean no increase in the assessed value for now, it also means no increased age requirement for registered antique vehicles and no cap on miles that such vehicles could be driven, which the bill was also aiming to implement.

Another proposed legislative action that died due to legislature adjournment comes out of Texas where a bill aiming to impose a state motorist tax on every mile a vehicle was driven had been introduced. A bill had also been proposed in Texas that would increase the registration fee of any vehicle by $50 also died thankfully because of the annual adjournment. Unfortunately, so too did a pro-hobby bill proposing to require only one license plate on the rear of any vehicle as well as increase the emissions inspection requirement from an annual requirement to one only needed every five years.

While Texas and many other state legislators have adjourned for the season, Wisconsin law makers continue to meet. Recently, pro-hobby legislation like that introduced in Texas was introduced in Wisconsin aiming to require just one license plate be displayed on vehicles. The bill now moves on to the Senate Transportation, Public Safety and Veterans and Military Affairs Committee for approval. Ohio has also introduced a similar bill which was approved by the Ohio House of Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.

The bill now moves on to the House of Representatives for consideration.

This last month in Nevada, Governor Brian Sandoval signed a SEMA-amended bill into law which thanks to SEMA excludes abandoned, unregistered, junk or inoperable motor vehicles to the list of items considered public nuisances. Under the new law, such vehicles now only require screening from public view in communities of 70,000 people or more. Additionally, unregistered vehicles can not be considered nuisances under the new law.

Last, but certainly not least this month is the much appreciated news that once again this year, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman and the Las Vegas City Council, as well as New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez and the New York State Assembly have all again issued proclamations designating July 12^th as National Collector Car Appreciation Day. In New York, this proclamation came in the form of a resolution for Governor Andrew Cuomo to proclaim July 13^th (the day after SEMA’s designated Collector Car Appreciation Day) to be their state’s day of automotive celebration.

The heat is on in governmental affairs even as many state legislatures adjourn for the year. But thanks to the Specialty Equipment Market Association, we can rest assured that no governmental BS is going to hinder our beloved hot rod hobby without gaining the attention of enthusiasts country wide!

For immediate updates on legislative action, be sure to sign up with the SEMA Action Network.