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Virginia Bill HB 288 ANTIQUE PLATE CHANGES KILLED!!


TomCox

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HB288 is patroned by Delegate Danny Marshall of the Danville Virginia area. This bill is the result of several years of abuse of the antique tag statutes...mostly by non hobbyists. During the past year there have been no less than three articles in major newspapers in VA referencing clunkers and work trucks sporting antique tags. This has become a real public relations problem for true hobbyists, with hundreds of complaints being lodged with legislators and Virginia DMV. Legislation to curb the abuse was inevitable. We hope to influence the current legislation.

During the past ten years in Virginia, we have secured exemption from emissions testing and roadside emissions smog dogs,we have been afforded tax exempt status, and we have secured the right to use vehicles registered as antique for pleasure use. Antiques also enjoy exemption from annual Virginia safety inspections, and benefit from a one time registration fee of $10.00.

It is not surprising that many would try to enjoy the many benefits we have been afforded in Virginia. Unfortunately they are often old work trucks with ladder racks or station wagons with house painting supplies hanging out of them.

The original antique vehicle statutes did NOT include any provision for pleasure use. It ONLY provided for use in parades, mechanical testing, and club functions.

About five years ago, VA hobbyists lobbied DMV and the legislature to include a pleasure use provision, so we could go get an ice cream on sunday etc. without fear of bieng pulled over. I was at those meetings with DMV.

It was an uphill battle, but they finaly agreed to give us a fifty mile radius of use for pleasure. We all agreed to that at the time. However, during the General Assembly session, a legislator friend,Delegate Richard Cranwell, amended the statute in a late night floor manuver. Dick did this without any prompting from me or anyone else. It was great to have 250 miles instead of 50. Although , either limitation is difficult to enforce.

I discussed this recent bill HB288 with Delegate Marshall prior to it's public filing several weeks ago. Originally this bill was going to remove our exemption from annual safety inspections, increase the fee for registration to at least $50.00, increase the eligible age upward from 25 years, and to require proof that the car was collectible.

Delegate Marshall and DMV were consulted. The Delegate agreed to leave those provisions out of the bill as presented. However, DMV and the Delegate both felt something needed to be done to limit the abuse of the tags, and they were going to change the statute language to accentuate the prohibition on work use of any vehicle with antique registration. They also feel the pleasure use limit should be reduced back to 50 miles. The bill also includes some housekeeping issues which specify certain details about antique year of manufacture plates.

As hobbyists we should embrace the tightening of restrictions on work related use of our tags. They were intended for hobby use...not work trucks or daily drivers. If we do not support this part of the bill, we risk having photos passed out to legislators showing junk vehicles and work trucks wearing our tags. The results could be far worse than you might think.

With regard to the mileage limit on pleasure use, we should lobby to have that maintained at its present level, but should also be ready to compromise to 150 or 100 miles. Either way it will still be difficult to prevent us from driving where we wish for pleasure use as there is always a hobby related event we could be going to.

Just be polite in your approach to lobbying your representatives and you will be surprised at the potential good results. Good diplomacy and action on the part of AACA members brought us many of the benefits we enjoy here in VA. While it may not be true in other States, most Virgnia legislators have been advocates for the hobby. We would not have all the benefits we currently enjoy if they had not listened and we had not spoken.

All Virgnia AACA Region Presidents were advised of the coming of this bill a couple of weeks ago. They have also been encouraged to discuss it with their members and act accordingly.

Thanks

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  • 4 weeks later...

A message from Tom Cox;

Hello All,

I sent an Email to many of you earlier yesterday after notifying the other State Car Council Presidents that in fact HB288 has been passed over indefinitely. I also said I would fill in the blanks with additional details as they became available. I believe my subject heading on that E-mail was "a victory for now", and that is quite true.There will continue to be debate on this issue by all interested parties, especially at the request of transportation committee chairman Leo Wardrup and his aide Jack Hilgers. They have developed a keen sense of ownership of this issue. Please note that Leo Wardrup is representing folks from the Tidewater area. DMV and State Police will also likely be meeting do discuss this issue further as I expect it to resurface next year. While this may not be the ultimate outcome, there will be plenty of time for us to prepare for next year, and agencies are not under a specific mandate by the full assembly to create solutions. Consequenlty, they are not bound by the rules of the assembly, which is a good thing.

I have spoken to the other council presidents and it is agreed,as some of you are aware, that we will be meeting soon to discuss a proactive respnse to upcoming challenges next year. In addition, I would prepare all of your club members for the possibility they could be called upon to travel to the assembly next year, as I expect action to be forthcoming on the antique tag issue. Hopefully, it will be something we can all support, and we can all stay home.

Additionally I have had discussions today with DMV regarding future meetings to discuss the tag abuse situation and its' remedies.They will be conducting meetings in the future with

DMV, and State Police. We will have seats at that table, and all car council presidents will be invited. This has occured before, and resulted in the initial steps that granted us the 250 mile pleasure use provision in the first place. I was at those meetings with others. Fortunately, there is as I have said no mandate involved, so I would expect the outcome to be more to our liking.

By passing over HB288, some license plate housekeeping measures included in that bill are in limbo. There will likely be a procedural move to gain passage of those measures pertaining to correcting errors in statutes regarding which years VA plates used metal tabs for certain years during the Korean War. I will let you know what the details are as they become available.

I also wish to welcome all of those who are stepping up to the plate in Northern Virginia and attempting to start a Car Council up there. It is badly needed, and we wish all of you the best.

I know some of you may think I have lost my mind, but you may wish to E-mail some of the Delegates you contacted, thanking them for their attention to our views. Ultimately, they will make the final decisions on whatever solution is ultimately passed next year. Consequently, it can't hurt our PR to give them some positive feedback. Many of their aides were polite and patient with some of us who were at times overbearing in our opposition. A simple message should be included in your subject heading such as : HB288 Thank you with a short message contained within. I would leave Delegate Wardrup out of those notes though.

Everyone of you, and all those who contacted legislators deserve the collective thanks of those in the hobby in VA. Your actions prevented us from having unfair legislation forced upon us. You have also added much clout to our positions in future discussions on this and other hobby issues. THANKS!!

Respectfully,

Tom Cox

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