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The Signal | Fall 2014
Government Relations Committee Update
August 22
—
The Government Relations (GR) Committee received an update
about activities in Congress and in the Obama administration during the
Midyear Meeting in Kansas City, Mo. The Committee discussed ATSSA’s
legislative priorities, the status of the Highway Trust Fund and the outlook
for a new highway bill for this fall or next year. The Fly-In Task Force, one
of the GR Committee’s subgroups, will begin assisting in the planning of the
2015 Legislative Briefing and Fly-In.
ATSSA PAC and RSAF Oversight Committees Update
August 22
—
The ATSSA Political Action Committee (PAC) and Roadway
Safety Advancement Fund (RSAF) Oversight committees reviewed the current
track of both the ATSSA PAC and the RSAF during the Midyear Meeting in
Kansas City, Mo. Both funds are critical to the industry’s work on Capitol Hill
to ensure there are sufficient investments being made for roadway safety
infrastructure.
SHSP Council Update
August 20—
The Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Council convened
during the Midyear Meeting in Kansas City, Mo. Members discussed how
ATSSA can become more engaged in each state’s safety planning process.
While ATSSA’s government relations team works to ensure that experts in
roadway safety infrastructure have a seat at the table, many ATSSA members
are participating with their state DOTs to craft and implement these plans.
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For more information about any of these Government Relations
Committee activities, contact
.
202-733-1245
GET INVOLVED
In 2012, there were 33,561 roadway fatalities in the U.S.
T
oward
Z
ero
D
eaths
Road safety devices save lives and reduce injuries every day.
Each one is designed to make our nation’s roads safer.
It’s not just metal, paint & plastic.
Let’s continue to focus on roadway
safety in the next highway bill
Over the past 10 years 383,542 individuals
have died on America’s roadways
Based on current NHTSA statistics,
the economic cost of these fatalities
was $3.5 trillion
Meet the New Government
Relations Team
Two new staff members joined ATSSA’s government
relations team in July.
Robby Wehagen
, associate
director of government relations, was most recently on
Capitol Hill as a congressional staffer for Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee member Rep. Tom Rice
(R–S.C.). Wehagen has worked on transportation issues
and knows ATSSA and its safety mission well. He
previously worked for Rep. Lou Barletta (R–Pa.) and
former Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Chairman John Mica (R–Fla.). Wehagen graduated from
Furman University with degrees in political science
and history. He is a native of Ohio. His email address is
.
Dana Lange
joined the government relations department
as government relations assistant. She worked at a state
government relations/lobbying firm and interned at the
Wisconsin State Legislature and the American Heart
Association. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-
Madison, she earned degrees in political science and
sociology. Lange is a native of Minneapolis, Minn.
Her email address is
.
