June 13, 2014 Visit us online at www.wpma.com WP-06-13-14 ANNOUNCING THE WPMA 2014 – 15 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE At the recent WPMA Board of Directors Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, members of the WPMA Executive Committee for the 2014 – 15 fiscal year were approved by unanimous vote of the Board. Effective July 1, 2014, the WPMA Executive Committee members will be: WPMA President: Lary Poulton, Ezzie’s Wholesale Inc, Malta, Montana WPMA 1st Vice President: Brad Bell, Connell Oil Inc, Pasco, Washington WPMA 2nd Vice President: Rick Reese, Kellerstrass Oil Co, Ogden, Utah WPMA 3rd Vice President: Ron Berry, Berry Oil, Tetonia, Idaho WPMA Senior PMAA Director: Gregg Benson, Rebel Oil Co Inc, Las Vegas, Nevada WPMA Immediate Past President: Robert Fung, Aloha Petroleum Ltd, Honolulu, Hawaii WPMA Executive Director: Gene Inglesby, WPMA, Salt Lake City, Utah WPMA would like welcome Gregg Benson as the newest member of the Executive Committee, and thank each of these men for their outstanding service to the association. WARNING: BEWARE OF IMPROPER SOLICITATION FOR MIRAGE HOTEL RESERVATIONS Past WPMA convention attendees have received solicitation calls offering discounted hotel rooms, from companies claiming to represent WPMA or the Mirage. Please be aware that any company or service claiming to provide hotel reservation services for WPMA or the Mirage Hotel does not represent either. Reservations made through these companies will be at your own risk. When making reservations for the Mirage you should call the hotel reservations desk directly or use the link that will be provided on our web site in the near future. PMAA URGES SENATE TO REJECT PROPOSED RAID OF LUST FUND This week, PMAA, NACS and SIGMA sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT) urging the Senate to reject a proposal of House Leadership for a second, fatal raid of the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Fund. In 2012 Congress hijacked $2.4 billion of the $3.8 billion that PMAA, NACS and SIGMA members paid in fees to the LUST Fund. The $2.4 billion was moved to fund the Highway Trust Fund. Now members of the House Leadership have proposed a final raid of the fund for 2014 and PMAA adamantly opposes the transfer of funds. Furthermore, if the fund is not going to be used to clean up leaks, then the fee should no longer be collected. Petroleum marketers have supported the LUST Fund and have paid $3.8 billion in LUST taxes since its inception. In 2012, Congress included a provision in the Highway bill that raided the LUST Trust Fund of $2.4 billion dollars and moved it to the Highway Trust Fund. While PMAA opposed this provision, Congress could have lessened the blow by including language which would have required that future revenue collected for the LUST Fund is used for its intended purpose. Now Congress is back to raid from the petroleum marketers fund, this time proposing to take the remaining $1.4 billion from the fund. PMAA believes the LUST Fund should be solely used to support UST leak prevention and remediation programs. PMAA is also concerned that states might increase tank fees to account for the LUST Fund shortfall. If Congress raids the remaining $1.4 billion left in the fund, it will cripple important programs and ultimately harm marketing companies who have paid the tax and built the fund over the past 25 years. If the fund isn’t being used for its intended purpose, the fee should be eliminated. PMAA will continue to work to oppose the potential transfer of LUST funds and will focus its attention on the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committees which have jurisdiction over the issue. SENATE PANEL APPROVES AMENDMENT REVERSING FMCSA CHANGES TO 34-HOUR RESTART RULE FOR CDL DRIVERS The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee this week approved an amendment to the 2015 transportation appropriation bill that would temporarily suspend new regulatory restrictions on the 34-hour restart provision under federal driver hours of service (HOS) regulations. The new regulatory restrictions were adopted last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The amendment was offered by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and would suspend the new regulatory restrictions on the 34-hour restart for one year and require the FMCSA to justify in a report to Congress how the changes enhance public safety. The 34-hour restart provision allows CDL drivers to restart the clock for their maximum hourly work week after a 34-consectutive hour rest period. Originally, the HOS regulations allowed drivers to use the 34- hour restart as often as wished they without restrictions. However, the FMCSA adopted regulatory changes limiting use of the 34-hour restart to just once per week and requiring the restart to include two overnight rest periods between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM. As a result of the FMCSA changes, depending on the time of day their final shift ends, drivers are now required to take more than 34 hours off duty before they can return to work. The change greatly reduces the flexibility petroleum marketers need to schedule drivers efficiently. The amendment had bipartisan support on the Senate Appropriations Committee and was approved by a 21 to 9 vote. Similar proposals to amend the 34-hour restart rule are currently under consideration in the House. PERMANENT ACCELERATED EXPENSING PASSES HOUSE This week, PMAA joined other members of NFIB in sending a letter to House Members of Congress in support of HR 4457 which would make the tax accelerated expensing permanent. On Thursday, the House voted 272-144 to revive the provision that lapsed at the end of 2013. The White House has said although it supports making section 179 expensing permanent, the Administration strongly opposes The America's Small Business Tax Relief Act because there are not budget offsets, therefore the White House has threatened to veto the bill. The Senate Finance Committee has passed a two year extension of section 179 accelerated expensing. Final action on the Senate legislation is not expected until late in the year. WPMA ANNOUNCES 2015 KEYNOTE SPEAKER – FRANK CALIENDO WPMA is pleased to announce Frank Caliendo as our 2015 WPMA Convention Keynote Speaker. Comedian/actor/impressionist Frank Caliendo has been making people laugh his whole career. The man known for his dead-on impressions of famous actors Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro; politicians George W. Bush and Bill Clinton; broadcasters John Madden and Charles Barkley; and talk show hosts Dr. Phil, Jay Leno, and David Letterman recently concluded his critically and commercially successful run in Las Vegas at the Monte Carlo Casino and Resort. On stage, Caliendo’s high energy act is a blend of observations, impressions, characters and anecdotal stories that build to a frenetic pace. Appropriately described by the Hollywood Reporter as “a combination of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey,” Caliendo is one comedian that should not be missed. An eleven year veteran of television sketch comedy as a cast member on Madtv and starring in his own series Frank TV, Caliendo has been a fixture on television for the last decade. He has comedy specials that run regularly on TBS and Comedy Central and he is a regular on the late night talk show circuit performing on such shows as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, The View, Late Show with David Letterman, and a special correspondent for Superbowl XXXIX. Caliendo co-starred in the Twentieth Century Fox feature film The Comebacks with Bradley Cooper, Will Arnett, and Dax Shepard and can also be seen every week on the FOX NFL SUNDAY” pregame show, where he has worked with Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and the rest of the team for the past 9 years –including his “Frank’s Picks” segments featured during Superbowl XXXIX, XLII and XLV broadcasts. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2014 June 16-19, 2014 – WOMA Convention – Suncadia Lodge – Cle Elum, Washington June 19, 2014 – UPMRA Summer Golf Classic – Davis Park Golf Course – Kaysville, Utah August 6-8, 2014 – IPM&CSA Convention – Coeur d’Alene Resort – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho August 19-20, 2014 – NMPMA Convention – Marriott Pyramid North – Albuquerque, New Mexico August 25, 2014 – HPMA Golf Tournament – Oahu Country Club Course – Oahu, Hawaii September 10-12, 2014 – UPMRA Convention – Park City Marriott – Park City, Utah 2015 WPMA CONVENTION & CONVENIENCE STORE EXPO – LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Mark your calendars for February 17-19, 2015. Make plans now to attend the 2015 WPMA Convention and Convenience Store Expo. It will be held once again at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada. NPP A NEW WPMA MEMBER SERVICE WPMA has partnered with NPP to provide members discounts on many products and services. NPP negotiates the rates, and makes them available to WPMA members. Membership with NPP is free, and there is no obligation to purchase. Discounts through Verizon, Expedia, Fastenal, Cradlepoint, and more. Register Now: https://associations.mynpp.com/myNPP/memberSavings.xhtml?guid=RB3WUOFG WPMA MEMBER SERVICES Petro Pete: “Why do people with closed minds always open their mouths?” © 2014 Western Petroleum Marketers Association - All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise. The information herein is also intended for the sole purpose of members of the Western Petroleum Marketers Association (WPMA). Any other use is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of the WPMA. If you do not wish to receive information via fax or e-mail, please contact WPMA at: (801) 263-9762, Fax: (801) 262-9413, or e-mail: [email protected].