Alex Fees: I'm Alex Fees on Small Business Television. We're coming to you from the SEMA 2008, that's Specialty Equipment Market Association in Las Vegas, Nevada and joining me here now is New York Assemblyman William Reilich, Assemblyman Reilich. Good to meet you sir.
William Reilich: it's nice to be here.
Alex Fees: Appreciate you been here. Assemblyman Reilich has already told me I may refer to him as Bill, so I'm going to take him up on that.
William Reilich: Absolutely.
Alex Fees: Alright, Bill. What brings you to SEMA 2008? You are the National Chair of the State Automotive Enthusiast Caucus. Is that correct?
William Reilich: That's correct.
Alex Fees: In that capacity, what do you do?
William Reilich: Well, all we have is the state representatives throughout the country that are auto enthusiast, that will support legislation, that supports the hobby of collecting cars, restoring cars, modifying cars, the after market parts as well as flight legislation that would be counter productive to the auto enthusiast hobby such as maybe a legislation that we saw in New York that was how to ban brush cars on trucks? We fought that legislation. So the folks of New York can enjoy a brush car and the truck if they like.
Alex Fees: Okay, you guys have representation in all 50 states?
William Reilich: All 50 states. There are 350 members. We've tripled the size than last two years. There is a lot of support for it and the funny thing is when you're talking to people that are already in this capacity and state representative throughout the country. You cannot tell who is an auto enthusiast and who is who start engaging in a conversation, before along they start talking about the car they found in a barn somewhere.
Alex Fees: Absolutely. Now what about the association with SEMA? How long has this organization been associated with SEMA?
William Reilich: We are on the second share. So the state representative caucus is relatively new. I believe it's maybe four, five years old. So it's in it's infant stages, but yet it's grown to 350 members already.
Alex Fees: And Bill, this is a SEMA organization.
William Reilich: Yeah, SEMA. Actually, yes it's SEMA.
Alex Fees: Alright, obviously, it's been a part of this SEMA convention that I'm guessing all those four or five years.
William Reilich: Yes, what happen was SEMA reach out to state representative to say, you're not enthusiast, would you like to join our caucus, that's how I first got involved.
Alex Fees: Alright! Well, how many trips to this convention have you personally had?
William Reilich: This is my third trip.
Alex Fees: Third trip. Well, mine as well. What kind of changes do you see here in the last three years?
William Reilich: Well, it's always exciting because there is new products come out from the auto manufacturers, the new aftermarket parts come out as well. What we see now is a big enthusiasm for aftermarket wheels and what not.
Alex Fees: Oh! Well, I was going to ask you about that specifically what type of issues are you seeing that effect car enthusiasts?
William Reilich: Well, we saw legislation that banned, was attempting to ban the auto spinners. We saw legislation a couple of years ago in Ohio, that would have allowed the state to come on to one's property if there were car outside staying in the some form of restoration process. They would have been able to go on to the property, take the car, crush it before you got home from work your car would have been smashed. So we thought that legislation was successful.
Alex Fees: Now do you find that the issues that affect car enthusiast? Do they start on the coast and then sort of work their way toward the central or center part of the country?
William Reilich: Yeah, I think they predominately are in the larger states New York, California, Texas, Florida and then, you'll see them go throughout the country and out. That's on the side of perhaps legislation that would be not in the best interest about enthusiast. The support of legislation works almost the opposite in the smaller states like Montana or in Arkansas. We will see something that promotes the auto enthusiasts caucus and then it works its way up.
Alex Fees: And what you're doing, why you are here at SEMA? You guys have conferences, legislative conferences of that nature?
William Reilich: We do. We had a dinner last night with some of the members that have come in from throughout the country, just to we have some reacquaintances once again and then we actually travel the show and see what products are out there just to work and talk to the vendors so we can understand better what's coming and what legislation we maybe anticipating.
Alex Fees: And Bill, what is the future hold for your organization?
William Reilich: Well, I see growth. I see we're renowned 50 states, again 350 members. I hope that two years from now, we can talk about 500 members plus. The more members we have here, understand that allow the legislation that deals with the aftermarket parts is at the state level not the federal.
Federal is more for a new manufacturers Ford, GM and what not those parts. The aftermarket predominately at the state level again, how long, how louder muffler can be, whether you can have lights in a certain spot on a car. That's state legislation.
Alex Fees: And that if it's at the state level, do you find states sharing it? I'm guessing that's what your role is, as the chair of this organization. I mean, are there legislative review committees and such that say, this is working for us?
William Reilich: Yeah, absolutely and SEMA is a big part of it. That's where SEMA provide like model legislation, protect our legislation. So that people that are making their own street rides then can register them on the road that they or the state that they live in. So SEMA is very supportive in that role. We're sharing information, sending out alerts to -- very often I'm not even aware of the bill that's in a certain state and SEMA has picked up on it and they send out the alerts and we worked together to the support or defeat a certain bill.
Alex Fees: Bill, if somebody sees this interview on SBTV.com, where do they go to get more information specifically on your organization?
William Reilich: They go right to the SEMA, websites SEMA and they look up SEMS, and they'll be able to link it right to the State Leadership caucus.
Alex Fees: Well, he is a Assemblyman William Reilich. Bill, I appreciate you being here.
William Reilich: Thanks for having me.
Alex Fees: From the state of New York, I'm Alex Fees on Small Business Television. We're coming to you from SEMA 2008, that's Specialty Equipment Market Association in Las Vegas.
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