State Lobbying
Besides complying with laws passed by Congress, members also need to be aware of laws which many states are passing that impact their businesses. With shrinking revenues and deficit budgets, many state and county governments are looking at a variety of measures to generate revenues. Imposition of equipment rental fees, trailer fees, personal property taxes, inspection and licensing fees and many other fees and taxes are being imposed and/or significantly increased at the local level. Increasingly, state associations have found it necessary to engage the help and expertise of ARA and its contacts to help them understand and deal with these issues and the policymakers who vote them into law.
ARA can provide assistance when it becomes necessary to fight an issue at the state level. ARA staff work with state association leadership to assess the issue and possible courses of action. If it is determined that legislative action is needed, ARA will coordinate with state leadership and its partner, MultiState Associates, to find an experienced, knowledgeable lobbyist who is familiar with that state's capitol and those legislators making policy decisions. While the state association will most likely be responsible for paying all of the fees incurred by the lobbyist, ARA will administer the program and hold the lobbyist accountable for activity, allowing members to focus their attention on advocacy for the industry.
During the legislative process, ARA staff also work closely with ARA state association members and the lobbying firm to continuously evaluate the process and assess progress and deficiencies. With the lobbyist acting as the field commander, a legislative plan is developed and implemented with the close cooperation and participation of the ARA state association membership. Additional pages in this section of the web site will talk about issues and states where we have had successful legislative outcomes.