Pub. 60 2019-2020 Issue 5

7 FALL 2020 should I care about the Texas Legisla- ture and what happens in Austin. Al- though I can certainly understand the sentiment that the sausage-making process is not for the faint of heart and can be unpleasant, the final prod- uct should be of interest to all of us. The Texas Legislature establishes the framework for the operation of new car dealers in the state of Texas. Our franchise laws, dealer licensing, opera- tion and repair of vehicles, financial product issues, titling and registration, vehicle fees, salvage issues, vehicle safety, emission reduction programs, vehicle warranties, and taxes are but a few of the issues that fall under the purview of the legislature — and the legislature will determine how they work in the future. In this publication of Dealers’ Choice, Bryan Case, the chair of TADA’s Legislative Commit- tee, highlights several legislative issues being discussed by the committee that will be a focus for TADA this session. With so much uncertainty surround- ing the legislative session, personal relationships with our elected officials will be more important than ever. It is a relationship-based process, after all. Every legislator I have visited with talks positively about their dealers and what a difference they make in their local communities. Thank you for making that happen! It makes a huge difference for our lobby team here and in D.C. when we visit with state legislators and members of Congress. If you don’t know your local House member, Senator or member of Congress, now is a great time to get acquainted. Youmight want to keep their contact information handy. The 87thTexas Legislature is shaping up as one for the History books. As a final note, I would like to thank the members who contributed toAutoPAC, TADA’s political action committee. These funds have helped us to support our legislative friends involved in cam- paigns this election cycle. If you haven’t contributed, please consider doing so. It is an investment in our future. 