ATA Legislative Update 2/21/2017
Last week marked a milestone at the Arizona Capitol known as crossover week, as it was the last week bills could be heard in their “house of origin” committee[s]. Except for appropriations bills, any bill that was not heard in its house of origin is effectively dead. (Well nothing is truly dead until the legislature adjourns, but any bill not heard before last week has little chance of becoming law.)
Many of the bills that ATA is tracking are effectively dead. Click here to read the entire list.
Here are a few key pieces of legislation ATA is actively working on:
Support HB2371: Oversize Commercial Vehicles; Local Authority (Alive)
Late last week, HB2371 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 58-0. If a local authority decides to regulate oversize overdimensional (OSOW), HB2371 requires those local authorities to adopt the State rules (AAC Title 17, Ch. 6) for OSOW loads and publish their restrictions to ADOT. HB2371 ensures uniformity for our specialized carriers and riggers regardless of where they travel throughout Arizona. Please take a moment to send your Senator a note and ask them to support HB2371 here.
Oppose: HB2145 – Household Goods; Unlawful Moving Practices (Alive)
As currently drafted, HB2145 prohibits a household goods mover from using or threatening to use a carrier lien under any circumstance for intrastate moves. Frankly, as written, HB2145 is a “nanny state” bill. ATA is concerned that, as written, it will hurt legitimate movers who will have little recourse against customers who refuse to pay for services. We are working with the Bill Sponsor and the Attorney General’s office to address our concerns. Please take a moment to send your Senator a note and ask them to amend HB2145 here.
Oppose: HB2152 – Arizona Emissions Bank; Credit; Amendments (Alive)
Allows stationary source pollution emitters to purchase credits from mobile sources. ATA fears that by allowing stationary sources to buy credits from mobile sources will lead to increased mandates or other direct cost increases for commercial trucking. E.g. paying for electrified truck parking and prohibition of auxiliary power units during breaks.
SUPPORTING SEVERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING BILLS INTRODUCED IN ARIZONA
For the first time in many years – read decades – meaningful legislation has been introduced seeking additional revenue options for transportation funding.
HCR 2011 – Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax (Dead)
Would place on the November 2018 general election ballot the question of whether to increase fuel taxes by 10 cents.
SB 1146 – Striker: Registration fees; VLT; Gas tax (Alive)
Would establish a fuel tax for natural gas operated vehicles comparable to other fuel taxes. Would establish an annual fee for other alternative-fuel vehicles comparable to the taxes paid by an average vehicle. Would establish a new vehicle license tax (VLT) fee for vehicles and trailers to be set at amounts that would cover annual DPS highway patrol costs.
SB 1147 – Striker: County Election; Motor Fuel Taxes (Alive)
Would authorize a county or regional transportation authority to enact, through a countywide election, a county motor fuel tax of up to ten cents per gallon. The revenues generated by such a tax would remain in the county where generated.
SB 1149: Transportation Reinvestment Zones (Alive)
Would authorize counties and municipalities to establish transportation investment zones to promote public safety and facilitate the movement of traffic. Would authorize the use of tax increment financing within the zones to support infrastructure improvements. (Also, authorizes the Phoenix Coyotes to use Tax Increment Financing to build a stadium.)
SB1270: County Transportation Excise Tax: Reauthorization (Alive)
Would reauthorize counties over 1.2 million (Maricopa County) to take to the county voters an extension of the county’s transportation excise tax.
Be sure to visit our Legislative Action Center for up-to-date legislative information. https://arizonatrucking.com/legislative-action-center/