SEMA Rages Against the Machine

Anyone who follows the CarDomain blog already knows that SEMA does more than throw a really cool party in Vegas every year. But were you aware that SEMA also fights for your rights? The SEMA Action Network functions as the association�s political watchdog, monitoring state and federal legislative activity for proposed laws that target the automotive hobby. A lot of SAN’s resources go into battling the �junk car� laws that enable busybodies with too much time on their hands to hassle you for building or storing your own car on your own property. SAN has also consistently prevented the allocation of public funds for �vehicle scrappage� programs that encourage the destruction of older cars. They also fight obscure regulations that target specific mods such as brush guards and lighting kits. In short, SAN holds the line against the army of paper-pushing killjoys who are paid to dream up ways to put the smackdown on your ride. Take a look at their site to find out what outrageous legislation is currently on the books in your state.

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Posted at 8:43 am in SEMA 2006

Comments

Sean C
Mar 20, 2007 at 5:14 pm

I love these guys.

Eric
Mar 16, 2007 at 6:21 pm

come to nevada, we can do whatever to our cars. it doesnt matter, we black out our windshields, and all sorts of funny stuff that people dont understand.

devildawgg
Mar 16, 2007 at 4:55 am

Who cares what SEMA’s motivation is? At least there’s a machine standing up for car enthusiast rights.

Kmbr
Mar 16, 2007 at 4:06 am

it makes me happy to see that there is some pro-hobbyist legislation in there as well

Heidi
Mar 15, 2007 at 6:43 pm

Wow, you’re so smart! That’s like totally the reason why WY allows free range to do what you want to your own personal property without the law getting involved!

* rolls eyes *

500,000 people thank you very much. And a lot less stupid like the rest of the country apparently. They actually let us have guns!!!! Oh noes! And aftermarket exhausts!!!! Actually, I think WY legislators have better things to do than worry about someone’s spinner rims and neon lights. You know, like running a state that actually operates with no debt… important stuff.

Anonymous
Mar 15, 2007 at 6:15 pm

thats cuz only 1000 people live in wyoming.

Heidi
Mar 15, 2007 at 5:54 pm

I’ve been on the SEMA SAN mailing list for quite some time now. I enjoy reading the absolutely stupid and retarded legislation some states are trying to pass. Ban on spinner rims? Come on… isn’t there more important things to worry about in our world? They’re also working on setting up a national dB limit for all aftermarket exhausts, which I think is a good thing because it’d stop retarded places from outlawing them all together.

I don’t think they do the blanket thing… plenty of others on the other side of the debate do that when it comes to cars. “oh no, a vehicle with an exhaust! It’s killing the atmosphere!” when in reality, my heavily modded exhaust system probably pollutes a lot less than some tree hugger’s 1980-something rusted out Saab or VW.

Luckily, I am from a state (Wyoming) that allows pretty much free range on what you want to do to your own personal vehicle. No emissions, no exhaust laws, no suspension laws, just keep your neon light bars out of view, no crazy anti spinner laws. It’s nice knowing I can go out and mod my car and not have some stupid legislator trying to stop me.

killersharq
Mar 15, 2007 at 5:10 pm

I don’t see any bogus laws from Pennsylvania in there…

God, I love my state!

Proscriptus
Mar 15, 2007 at 12:19 pm

Well, SEMA’s less about fighting for your rights, than about fighting for the rights of their members, which are the aftermarket manufacturers. They don’t particularly care about things like pollution, neighborhoods or local control, and their versions of what legislation says seldom matches the actual text of a bill. It’s all about the spin, baby!

That’s not to say they don’t get it right every now and then, but their hysterical, blanket opposition to everything to which they have an objection gets old after a while.