Accomplishments Report 2017

Accomplishments Report 2017 3 Government Relations ATSSA launches State Government Relations Program ATSSA launched its State Government Relations Program in January 2017. ATSSA on-boarded a government relations management platform to track bills of relevance to ATSSA members across 50 states. As a result, 19 state legislative reports were disseminated to ATSSA membership in order to give ATSSA members and chapters information on pending and passed state legislation affecting the roadway safety infrastruc- ture industry. Additionally, these reports were dissem- inated to ATSSAmembership via chapter visits from ATSSA’s State Government Relations Director, Ashley Wieland, who made 12 chapter visits in 2017 to inform ATSSA members on the new program and help them effectively engage with state legislators. ATSSA’s State Government Relations Program was able to help the following chapters engage with their state legis- lators through the following activities: • The Texas-ATSSA Chapter leadership conducted state capitol meetings with House and Senate Transportation leadership and hosted Rep. Tomas Uresti at a chapter meeting to discuss outlook and impact of pending gas tax bill and its potential impact on ATSSA membership in Texas. • The Rocky Mountain-ATSSA Chapter issued a “call-to-action” asking members of the ColoradoSenate Finance Committee to support a bill to increase the state’s gas tax. • The Pennsylvania-ATSSA Chapter sent a letter of support to the Pennsylvania House Transportation leadership in support of a bill that would establish a pilot program for speed cameras in work zones to discourage motorists from speeding in work zones (SB 172). • The Ohio-ATSSA Chapter sent a letter of support sent to Ohio Senate Ways and Means leadership in support of a bill to increase vehicle registration fees for transportation projects (SB 113). Additionally, the Ohio-ATSSA Chapter president participated in and interested parties meeting re: SB 113 with the bill’s lead sponsor and other stakeholders. • The ATSSA Government Relations CommitteehostedKentuckyChairman of the Senate Transpor t ation Committee, Sen. Ernie Harris, at ATSSA’s Midyear Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. This provided a prime opportunity for ATSSA members to gain insight from the chairman and for the chairman to learnmore about what ATSSA members are doing to make roads savers and save lives. • The first pilot programstate advocacy daywas conductedwith the California- ATSSA Chapter on July 18, 2017. • Twenty-one registrants from the California-ATSSA Chapter participated in a legislative briefing and 45 state capitol meetings (51 percent legislator meetings) to educate legislators on the roadway safety infrastructure industry, discuss the recently passed gas tax increase’s impact onCalifornia- ATSSA members, and ask that the new revenue from the gas tax stay dedicated to transportation. The ATSSA Executive Team recognizes Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) as an “honorary flagger” during a visit to ATSSA headquarters. ATSSA’s Vice President of Government Relations, Nate Smith stands left. Smith, Rep. O’Halleran staff member, Ryan Mulcahy, Rep. TomO’Halleran (D-Ariz.) and ATSSA Chair-elect Juan Arvizu attend ATSSA’s 47th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. ATSSA’s Director of State Government Relations, Ashley Wieland, ATSSA Board member, Ron Sims, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky), Smith, former Director of Government Relations, Robby Wehagen, attend an ATSSA PAC event at the ATSSA Midyear Meeting. (From left to right) Sue Blanchard, Rep. Jason Lewis (R-Minn.), Jay Blanchard, and Smith gather at Safety Signs in Minnesota for a site visit to the Blanchard’s company. ATSSA Chair, Debra Ricker, and Nate Smith attend a White House meeting on infrastructure policy.