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SEMA Legislation One Step Closer in Massachusetts! March 16, 2006
You may recall a few posts on our website about the “SEMA Legislation”. In States all around the country, our representatives at SEMA have done an outstanding job of helping custom car guys overcome the varying obstacles towards building and registering their custom built cars.
Here in Massachusetts, we are closer than ever to joining the ever growing number of States that have adopted a form of this legislation. The pending Massachusetts version will make it easier and provide clear guidelines for guys registering a replica, street rod or custom. Yesterday the Massachusetts Joint Transportation Committee released from committee the legislation to now head for a vote in the House and Senate. This vote will probably occur in the next weeks/months.
More than three years ago, Bob Kay (FFR customer, ex-fire-fighter, and now current FFR team member) said that he had just barely survived a grueling battle with the Massachusetts Registry folks, after trying his best to do everything by the book with his newly built car. The problem was the laws in Mass were unclear with respect to custom built cars. He said this was interfering with his Constitutional Rights and he was going to do something about it! When I asked him what he was talking about, he immediately responded, “These confusing regulations are preventing me from my pursuit of happiness, the third right after life and liberty as promised by our founding fathers!" (my kinda guy).
Bob contacted his State Rep (at the time we were dealing with Vinny DeMacedo). Bob arranged tours of FFR and asked that we speak to the state guys to voice our concerns. Two years ago Bob left Massachusetts to move down south and he asked Joe Leone (FFR customer from Methuen, MA) to take over. Joe got his rep Arthur Brodhurst involved and Joe carried the ball to where we are today.
Bob and Joe are not just good guys, they are patriots who are actively making things better for all of us and using our democratic system the way the framers intended. The drama was intense as the SEMA Bill was a day from dying in committee, when Joe Leone pulled himself away from his paying job and personally drove the good guys to get the bill released for a vote. If Joe and Arty Broadhurst had not worked so hard, all of us car guys in Massachusetts would have been defeated.
The biggest thanks go to Bob, who initiated this effort, and to Joe, who drove it like a man possessed. The Bill will now head to a vote and we’ll keep all of you updated as the day approaches for us to contact our respective reps before a vote.
I would be remiss if I also failed to mention and thank the great work of Steve MacDonald at SEMA, and the FFR customers who attended the initial public hearing last October 27th, enabling this work to progress. Lastly Mass State Rep Arthur Broadhurst and all the members who supported this effort should get notes of thanks from folks in their respective districts when this is law.
This whole matter is a good reminder to all of us that our government does indeed work and if we take a stand together for issues that matter to us, we can make a difference.
Dave Smith President
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