The association welcomes John Hotchkis, Myles Kovacs, Adrian Murray, Jim Bingham and John Iannotte to their first terms on the Board.

News and updates from SEMA's councils and committees.

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate to create a large, new wilderness reserve in central Idaho has been endorsed by the Obama administration. The legislation threatens to designate nearly 330,000 acres of land in central Idaho as wilderness, the most restrictive designation that can be placed on public lands. SEMA opposes the legislation as drafted since many off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails in the Sawtooth and Challis National Forests could be closed as a result of its passage.

After passing in the Assembly with the full support of the automotive hobbyist community, the California Senate Transportation Committee failed to approve legislation to increase the registration limit for exempted specially constructed vehicle registrations from 500 to 750 vehicles per year. The bill was defeated on a 3 to 5 vote.

The SEMA Show New Products Showcase makes it easy for buyers to get a quick glimpse of the industry's innovators. And entering products in the Showcase is easy for exhibitors—just visit the 2010 SEMA Show website. Click through for details. 

Complimentary conference meeting space is available at the 2010 SEMA Show in the Grand Lobby Mezzanine Members Lounge (near North and Central Halls).

In the April issue of SEMA News, we ran an extended look at what the ProPledge Warranty Assurance program is and how it can benefit member companies. Part of the ongoing development of the program is to profile its existing members as well as those who see the value and benefits of what ProPledge can offer. The goals set forth with a program such as ProPledge are to grow and learn from its current membership roster so that it may be of benefit to future ProPledge partners. For a detailed analysis of ProPledge and its benefits to nearly every SEMA-member company, visit the ProPledge website, www.propledge.com, or call 818/248-4449 for more information. [Read more]

Staying up-to-date on legislation related to the automotive hobby and to small businesses is essential to the success of the industry. However, it's also a challenge—given the vast number of issues that exist on the federal, state and local levels. Knowing what source to turn to makes it easier. Thanks to several active publications, industry professionals and enthusiasts are kept well-informed about key issues.

To ensure that you don't miss out on the news that you need to know, be sure to add the following publications to your "must read" list.