The following Bills have been introduced in the Michigan
Legislature. While they may not affect you at this time, one or both may affect
you in the future. Both of these Bills could have an impact on us as Corvette
owners. One of the Bills could have a very detrimental effect on participants in
the Corvette restoration hobby, while the other could save many of us on our
automobile insurance rates.
Senate Bill 631 is a well-intentioned but
poorly drafted amendment to existing environmental laws which could be
interpreted as classifying a car under restoration, inside your home garage, as
"litter" due to being "inoperable", and would give any one
the right to seek a Court Order requiring you to dispose of the
"inoperable" vehicle or be subject to fines and possible imprisonment,
plus attorney fees and court costs.
It is not difficult to see how this Bill, worded as it is, could lead to
abuse, particularly if you and your next door neighbor aren't getting along with
each other right now. Although many of us would not be directly affected by S.B.
631 at this time, putting this Bill on the books as a law, as it is drafted,
could very well restrict each of our freedoms in the future. You are urged to
write to your Michigan State Senator and ask him or her to vote against this
Bill.
House Bill 4007 deals with the recently announced
mandated
increases in the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fees.
H.B. 4007 was drafted to exempt
owners of historic cars insured under "collector car" policies from
the new $71.15 per vehicle Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fee (which
was $14.41 last year) which will be added to every Michigan car owner's
insurance premium this year. It recognizes the distinction between "daily
drivers" and "collector cars", and exempts vehicles insured under
"collector car" policies from the MCCA fee, as
their risk is insignificant.
Not all of us would be affected by H.B. 4007. But many of our club
members do operate Corvettes that are insured by a "collector car"
policy. A letter to your State Representative urging a positive vote for this
Bill should be considered.
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The following Bill has been introduced in the Federal Legislature.
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U.S. SENATE BILL THREATENS VEHICLE HOBBY
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For the first time in many years, Federal legislation (S. 1766)
threatening the vehicle hobby industry has been introduced.
S. 1766 includes a provision (Section 803) that would FEDERALLY fund state
scrappage programs for vehicles more than 15 years old -- that means popular
vehicles ranging from '60s era muscle cars up through later model vehicles such
as Buick T-Types and Grand Nationals, Mustang SVOs and GTs, Z-28 Camaros and
Corvettes would be in danger. Those low-performance "sister" vehicles
like Buick Regals with interchangeable parts to GM Grand Nationals would
certainly be destroyed. The street rod industry will not be immune either, as
late-model engines, suspension equipment and accessories (such as the suspension
parts found on Ford Mustang IIs) often used to modernize these popular vehicles
will also be lost to the crusher.
All members are strongly urged to take action to defeat S. 1766. Here are a few
simple things members and their employees can do to help:
* Send a letter on your company letterhead to your U.S. Senators opposing
Section 803 of S. 1766. The letter need not be long. Simply express how S. 1766
will affect you, your company and the automotive hobby. For more tips on writing
your legislators, consult the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association)
document "How to Lobby Elected Officials." This guide is available at http://www.enjoythedrive.com/san
To find out who your U.S. Senators are, call the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
at 202/783-6007, or visit http://www.enjoythedrive.com/legislative/contact_legislator.asp
* Personal letters from employees of SEMA-member companies to their U.S.
Senators opposing Section 803 of S. 1766 are encouraged. Again, letters can
-- and should -- be brief (see notes in item above) and include personal reasons
why the bill would affect their lives and careers. Contact the SEMA Washington,
D.C., office at 202/783-6007 for help or information.
* Share the alert on S. 1766 found at http://www.sema.org/fedleg/fedredhot/scrappage1201.html
with as many people as possible, including your customers. Communicate with them
the potential harm Section 803 of S. 1766 could have on the vehicle hobby, and
urge them to get involved by writing letters as well.
The SEMA ( Specialty Equipment Market Association) Washington, D.C., staff
is monitoring and actively lobbying S. 1766 on Capitol Hill. SEMA members are
asked to send copies of their letters to the SEMA Washington, D.C., office for
their records. Members are also encouraged to contact the staff if they have any
questions or need assistance in their efforts to oppose this legislation. SEMA's
Washington, D.C., staff can be reached at 202/783-6007; fax is 202/783-6024.
A Federally funded scrappage program is too big an issue for each and every
member not to get involved!
