This year’s BBQ for the Troops event is scheduled for Saturday, July 13, and will offer more options for dealers who wish to participate. In addition to holding a traditional BBQ event, dealers can host “test drive for the troops” events throughout the month of July with a donation for each drive given to the USO or simply accept dealership donations for the cause. The CATA’s fall Chicago Drives Electric event will take place from Oct. 3-6 and continue to showcase electric and PHEV vehicles to the public. We anticipate having more brands than we did in 2023 and are working on finalizing the details. The CATA’s largest event, The Chicago Auto Show, is scheduled for Feb. 8-17, 2025, with the First Look for Charity taking place the evening before the show opens to the public, on Friday, Feb. 7. We are currently planning the details of the show and are confident that next year’s show will deliver the consumer interest and sales spike enjoyed by all of our dealer members. As always, the CATA thanks you for your membership. Our association is stronger because of your collective involvement. Recently, however, we’ve faced some headwinds. The governor’s recent budget removed the dealer’s ability to hold back the 1.75% tax which you have been previously allowed in return for collecting the state’s sales tax. Also, there was a challenge by Volkswagen to the Warranty Reimbursement Law which the CATA, in conjunction with the IADA and service tech union, worked to pass two years ago. Issues like these highlight the need for us to have friendly contacts with local and federal legislators. We recently partnered with Congress Plus, which will allow us to quickly determine those of you who have relationships with local and federal members of congress. Our action committees, CATPAC and NADAPAC, also rely on relationships with these lawmakers and knowing which of your dealerships are in their districts helps us when we need to address issues. So, thank you; your continued help and cooperation are what make this organization successful, and we’ll continue to fight on our dealer members’ behalf. 6 CATA UP TO SPEED
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