2014 Lame Duck in NJ GILL

January 2014 Volume 6 - Issue 1 On The Road THE OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION OF THE NEW JERSEY GASOLINE C-StoRE AUtoMotIVE ASSOCIATION WWW.NJGCA.ORG $5.95 THE 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW April 2013 Volume 5 - Issue 2 October 2013 Volume 5 - Issue 4 KEBL>A On The Road HE FFICIAL OMMUNICATION OF THE EW ERSEY ASOLINE TORE UTOMOTIVE SSOCIATION T O C N J G C-S A A WWW ORG .NJGCA. $5.95 $5.95 ELECTION 2013 VOTER GUIDE R Don’t Miss Inside: - New ETEP Training Schedule Plus Inside... - 2013 NJGCA Voter Guide July 2013 Volume 5 - Issue 3 KEBL>A $5.95 duty Executive respect KPVGNNKIGPV V6HVCCVJHV '0,#11Ethics [ competitor l e a d e r s h i p Morality proficient scrupulous adept well-versed 5A@6G5F + 2014 LAME DUCK IN NJ GILL Getting You There • Extensive network of company/dealer operations • Rack supply contracts with Sunoco, BP, ExxonMobil and 76 • Lowest prices on unbranded fuel • Equipment purchase programs • Provide maintenance, station upgrade, environmental and Gill Energy financing support 732-696-2201 • Engineering and Zoning Assistance for new sites www.gillenergy.com NJGCA ON THE ROAD TABLE OF CONTENTS P. 4. Message from the Executive Director P. 5. Important Email Communications Message P. 6. US DOL Q&A with Joe Petrecca P. 7-8. Pricing Gasoline Below $3.00 in NJ P. 9. Membership Memo P. 10. 2013: The Year in Gas Prices P. 11-13. Legislative Issue Update P. 14. The Affordale Care Act - Off and Running P. 15-16. Political Year in Review P. 17. Counsel Corner: Achieving ADA Compliance P. 18. Spotlight on Two New NJGCA MBPS! P. 19. $ave with our Member Benefit Partners! P. 20-21. N.J. DEP & UST Update NJGCA P. 22. Stepping Up: Political Involvement & YOU 66 Morris Avenue P. 24-25. A Small Business Owner’s Thoughts on the Springfield, New Jersey 07081 Minimum Wage P. 26. Legislator Spotlight - Senator Nia Gill (973) 376-0066 | www.njgca.org P. 27-28. ObamaCare: Theory Becomes Reality P. 29-30. Member Spotlight: Gill Energy and Creative Management, Inc. P. 31-33. Energy Examiner P. 34. Counsel Corner: Documenting Immigrant Employees NJGCA ON THE ROAD ● 3 ● JANUARY 2014 Message From Executive Director Sal Risalvato What is a Lame Duck? The quarterly On The Road newsletter of which Legislature voted. It is an opportunity for unpopular is a collaborative effort of the entire legislation to pass because outgoing legislators that may be NJGCA staff. Some issues may retiring or were defeated in their election can then be blamed have more content from a particular for its passage and the new class of legislators won’t have staff member than another, but that their fingerprints on it. may change in subsequent issues. Each staff member has particular areas of expertise and therefore they are tasked There are several contentious pieces of legislation affecting with coordinating articles that they are more familiar with. your business that were on the “Lame Duck” agenda mandatory paid sick leave is one of these issues. Even if this Every issue begins the same way. A meeting is scheduled bill was not passed in Lame Duck, it will be a threat in the several months in advance of the date that the next new legislature. At the time that I am writing this, I don’t publication is set to arrive in your mailbox. Topics that are know if it will have passed before the January 14th deadline. current are discussed, and assignments are made. Issues affecting your business are always a constant section and an There are several important bills being considered that also update is prepared. Many times, events change the course of affect NJGCA members. For years, NJGCA has fought these issues after updates are edited and sent to the printer. to outlaw the practice of Zone Pricing. At the time of this writing, we were anxiously waiting for this law to be voted Each issue of the OTR always has a unique front cover that on by both the Assembly and the Senate. I closely monitored depicts either a theme of that publication or an issue that is the Lame Duck session, but once again, at the time I wrote highlighted inside. I rarely, if ever, contribute to the ideas or this article, I couldn’t know the outcome. design of the front cover. In fact, it is usually presented to me as a surprise during the proofreading phase, just before it is Another issue that has already been voted on by the sent to the printer. Only once did I reject what was presented Lame Duck Assembly is Right to Repair. This is a highly to me and had the staff go back to the drawing board. contentious issue between Independent Repair Shops and the New Car Manufacturers. We reported to you last month Proofreading is another matter. It seems that no matter how that Right to Repair passed in the Assembly, but it is highly much we proofread, there are always one or two dumb unlikely that there will be any action in the Senate during mistakes that scream at me once I have the final printed the short Lame Duck period. This means that the bill will be version in my hands. re-introduced immediately upon the convening of the new Legislature and it will begin another two-year life cycle. The January 2014 front cover of the OTR was crafted at my Hopefully we will not need the full two years to bring this suggestion, and I even participated in selecting the graphics. law to fruition. The term “Lame Duck” is used often in the media and also by me when I write you with weekly updates. I realize that The Lame Duck this year is in Trenton. Next November, we many of you may not know what “Lame Duck” means, as will be electing new representatives in Washington. Since it pertains to either a Legislature, a Governor or President. they too will not be sworn in until January 2015, they will also be considered “Lame Ducks.” And when Governor Since we just experienced a “Lame Duck” Legislature (by Christie’s term ends in 2018, he too will be considered a the time this is in your mailbox the “Lame Duck” session Lame Duck in the final months of his tenure, as will President will have been completed), I thought it would be appropriate Obama in 2016. to explain the significance of it. The regular business of the new Legislature has begun. Lame Duck occurs when an election has passed and the NJGCA plans to be an active participant by voicing terms of present legislators are about to expire. The 215th opposition to harmful legislation, and voicing support for NJ Legislature expired on January 14th at noon, as per the legislation that will help your business. We won’t have to NJ State Constitution. The 216th NJ Legislature, which was deal with any Lame Ducks in Trenton for another two years. elected last November, was sworn in at that time. But what about all of the bills that were never voted on, and all of On a final note, I am asking that you to please pay special the unfinished business? Well that’s why “Lame Duck” is attention to the Communications Message on the next important. page titled “Email Overload”. The period of time after an election, and before a new class Thanks. of legislators is sworn, is when legislation that might not otherwise have passed is voted upon. There is also a scramble to pass legislation that likely would have passed regardless NJGCA ON THE ROAD ● 4 ● JANUARY 2014 Email Inbox Overload? We are placing this notice at the front of the NJGCA works hard to keep you informed, OTR, in the hopes that it will get your attention! but if you do not read the communications We have received some troubling evidence that are sent, then our hard work is wasted. recently that members are not receiving, or This will become more pronounced as we are not reading, the emails that we send. entering a phase of sending email surveys to you that ask for your opinion, or for It is not unusual for people to receive lots of information needed to support the advocacy emails from various vendors, interest groups that we do for you. and, of course, numerous silly jokes from friends. Since 2007, when NJGCA began We have also encountered email delivery sending weekly Road Warrior emails to problems. It is the nature of mass emails members, we have been extremely sensitive that some email hosts, or email servers, to this fact. As a result, we adopted a policy and even Internet Service Providers, block to send only ONE email per week with the emails that they sometimes determine to be latest updates that we think you should spam. Some days they allow a mass email to be aware of. Exceptions to this rule occur be delivered, and on other days a filter or a whenever an important or urgent matter is at glitch may block a mass email from the same hand and requires your immediate attention, sender. We have found the biggest problems such as when we send Wildfire Alert emails to be with those members who have AOL or Events and Announcements. email addresses. As consumers, we frequently make online Some members may not recognize that purchases, and we are all subject to the there is a problem because they regularly bombardment of promotional emails that receive emails from individual staff members begin arriving immediately after making a at NJGCA.

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