SEMA is working with Wyoming lawmakers to oppose legislation pre-filed for consideration in 2013 that would increase vehicle registration fees by $10 for passenger vehicles and would double registration fees based on unladen vehicle weight for non-commercial trucks.

California Senator Ted Lieu is dropping a plan to ask voters to triple the state’s vehicle license fee rates through a constitutional amendment. Under the plan, Lieu indicated that the 1.35% transportation system user fee increase would generate an estimated $3.5 to $4 billion annually for roads and public transit.

While most of the national attention during last November’s election was devoted to the presidential race, an event critical to the state of California also created news. With all the votes counted, one party has garnered enough seats in both houses of California’s legislature to now govern the state with a supermajority that can overturn a governor’s veto.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is opposing the sale of gasoline with 15% ethanol content (E15).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued survey results on the effectiveness of tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). The technical report analyzes a sampling of data collected from tires mounted on model-year ’04–’07 vehicles.

SEMA has joined with the Off Road Business Association (ORBA), Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and a number of other motorized recreation groups to oppose designating 1.4 million acres of land in Utah as a National Monument.

At midnight on December 31, a major provision of the “Budget Control Act” (BCA) agreed to last summer by Congress and the President is set to go into effect. The BCA called for Congress to pass legislation lowering the U.S. deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.

SEMA and its Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) and Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) councils announced that the next Collector Car Appreciation Day will be celebrated July 12, 2013.

As the fight to defend the automotive hobby continues, the opportunity to showcase 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 with a unified message on important legislation.

Protecting the intellectual property rights of members is a top SEMA priority. The process begins when companies establish certain legal rights by obtaining patents, and by registering their trademarks and copyrights with government agencies in the United States and other countries.