Action item: Arkansas classic car tax

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JimR
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:56 pm
Location: Rogers, AR

Action item: Arkansas classic car tax

Post by JimR » Thu Feb 16, 2017 9:20 pm

I know many OMR participants live in Arkansas, and a ridiculous piece of anti-enthusiast legislation was just introduced into the Arkansas House of Representatives. House Bill 1547 changes the Arkansas Antique license plate allowance from vehicles 25 years and older to a minimum of 45 years. A one-time $7 registration fee gets these vehicles a permanent license/registration with no annual renewal, provided the vehicle is not a daily driver.

It's an obvious money grab, but the rub is that the bill sponsor claims to be a classic car enthusiast. He takes offense at the possibility of vehicles outside his narrow view as being legitimate classics. In a recent interview he said, "There are no historic cars in the '90s."

Cars with real enthusiast sentiment from the late 80s and early 90s recently became eligible, and early/mid-90s cars are soon to turn 25. It's a rich period that can't be dismissed. The F-150 Lightning, C4 Corvette, Civic Si, RX-7, 300ZX, Porsche 944, Miata, and scores of other favorites would have to wait until the 2030's to be eligible for antique plate status.

SEMA has issued an alert:
http://www.semasan.com/page.asp?content ... 1&g=SEMAGA

Little Rock news story:
http://katv.com/news/local/bill-seeks-t ... n-arkansas

I also created a Facebook group called Arkansas Car Enthusiasts Against HB 1547, if you would like to discuss there.

If you're not in Arkansas, why should you care? Proposals to shake down car enthusiasts have become popular in many states, including Connecticut and Oregon. The idea is to move the goalposts or institute retroactive taxes on seldom-driven classic vehicles previously given a special vintage status. It could easily come to Missouri, Kansas, and beyond.
Jim Rowland - Your friendly OMR volunteer at large
'92 Sentra SE-R / '15 FR-S / '04 Silverado HD

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JimR
Posts: 1204
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:56 pm
Location: Rogers, AR

Re: Action item: Arkansas classic car tax

Post by JimR » Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:20 am

Articles about the two other states, Oregon and Connecticut, that came to mind:

Proposed Oregon Bill Would Tax People With Cars 20 Years Or Older For No Good Reason (UPDATED)
http://jalopnik.com/proposed-oregon-bil ... 1792227249

Proposal to raise taxes on vintage cars sparks debate
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Pro ... 516623.php
Jim Rowland - Your friendly OMR volunteer at large
'92 Sentra SE-R / '15 FR-S / '04 Silverado HD

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JimR
Posts: 1204
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:56 pm
Location: Rogers, AR

Re: Action item: Arkansas classic car tax

Post by JimR » Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:39 am

A number of us managed to get the bill withdrawn last week, but it may return in another form later.

Hemmings picked up on the antique car backlash:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/02/2 ... istration/
Representative Jack Fortner’s intent for H.B. 1547 seemed less to increase state revenues (as SEMA argued when it described the bill as a “cash grab”) and more to align state law with his personal definition of antique.

"The intent then was to honor and respect the collector-car hobby and vintage cars," Fortner, a collector car enthusiast himself, told Arkansas Online. "I don’t think anything good happened in the auto field after ’72."

KATV reported that Fortner, who introduced the bill last Tuesday, withdrew it on Friday after a wave of backlash against it.
Jim Rowland - Your friendly OMR volunteer at large
'92 Sentra SE-R / '15 FR-S / '04 Silverado HD

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