Page 11 - ATR 3 2012 web 2

NEWS IN brIEf

WoNdErS NEvEr cEaSE the transportation bill, particularly According to senior aides in both
Nobody thought this Congress the effects it will have on the trucking chambers, the House amendment
could ever do it—pass a transportation industry. simply proposes to cut funding. For
bill. But in a huge display of bipar- it to have any effect, the U.S. Senate
tisan politics, the Democratic con- SalES Tax ExEmpTIoN would have to concur in the defund-
trolled Senate passed it 74-19 while the TakES EffEcT ing amendment, when it gets around
Republican controlled House approved it The long-awaited Arkansas sales tax to considering the 2013 transportation
by a vote of 373-52. All ‘no’ votes were exemption on the purchase price of new appropriations bill. Nobody believes the
cast by Republicans. and used large trucks and semi-trailers Senate will go along with defunding the
Under the agreement, federal took effect July 1, 2012. This exemption EOBR mandate when it overwhelmingly
transportation funding will continue will enable Arkansas trucking company passed in the transportation bill.
at roughly $54 billion a year, averting a owners to gain the same tax advantage So contrary to some reports, the EOBR
crisis for the nation’s highway construc- the industry enjoys in 38 other states. mandate is very much alive and well,
tion projects that could have occurred if The full exemption completes an fully funded and moving forward.
Congress had not agreed on the money objective the Arkansas Trucking
before the June 30expiration of a short- Association began in 2003 when the pryor INTrodUcES JobS bIll
term measure. Arkansas General Assembly voted to for mIlITary SErvIcE mEmbErS
Politics is the art of compromise give the industry a partial sales tax U.S. Senator Mark
and this legislation was a prime exam- break, capping the sales tax at about Pryor (D-Ark.) has
ple. The agreement did not include a $600 on a truck and $60.00. Now, introduced legislation
provision launching construction of Arkansas is on a par with border states to encourage states to
the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which like Oklahoma that provide such an accept specialized military
Republicans had sought. But it also exemption. training service members
omitted $1.4 billion for conservation acquire on active duty as
that Democrats favored, and dropped oNly a pUff of SmokE meeting all or some of the
restrictions on how states use money In the hours after Congress over- state licensing require-
once mandated for aesthetic transporta- whelmingly voted to approve the ments for such occupa-
tion improvements. transportation bill that included the tions as commercial truck
The measure marks the first time requirement that all commercial trucks drivers, certified nursing
since 2005 that Congress has agreed to install electronic onboard recorders, assistants and emergency
a long-term transportation bill. Congressman Jeff Landry (R-La.) intro- medical technicians.
The bill consolidates federal trans- duced an amendment to a separate Called the “Helping
portation programs and gives states appropriations bill to withhold federal Iraq and Afghanistan
more flexibility in how it can spend funds from implementing the EOBR Veterans Return to
its money. It also contains an array of mandate. The amendment passed on a Employment (HIRE) at Home Act,”
safety initiatives including requiring voice vote (with about a dozen members Pryor said veterans “have already dem-
electronic on-board recorders in com- on the floor). onstrated proficiency through military
mercial trucks and creating a clearing- Reports quickly circulated that the training and experience” that states
house for truck drivers who test positive House stripped funding for the EOBR should consider to enable veterans to
on drug tests. mandate, effectively nullifying the con- skip expensive and time consuming
The next issue of Arkansas Trucking gressional action. But, like many things
Report will include a detailed look at in Washington, that simple isn’t true. 

aRkansas TRucking RePoRT | issue 3 2012 11