Contributed by Sheila O’Connor, AAF Omaha Board Member & Legislative Issues Chair
On October 14, I was able to join in on the AAF Legislative conference call. The call was organized by Clark Rector, Executive Vice President-Government Affairs for the American Advertising Federation. There were around 45 AAF members from across the country on the line.
The legislative goals of AAF include:
• Grass roots involvement,
• Staying involved and
• Regular calls with members.
Regarding current issues, there are not a lot of hot topics at this time. You can thank the candidates for that!
Tax reform and elections: The new Speaker of the House will have a significant impact on tax reform. Taxation on advertising expenses is still on the table. Now is the time to establish relationships with elected officials.
Privacy and data security: This sometimes considered a hostile issue in our industry! Not a lot of legislative activity; there is a lot of scrutiny! The original intent was to protect consumers; the question is – from who?
State issues: Privacy laws in Illinois, the governor did an amendatory veto on line items regarding strict standards for data and security breaches and notification to consumers.
At the local level: State legislatures sessions begin in January. Now is the time to learn more about your elected officials, their stance on issues and issues key to the state.
There was a quick conversation regarding the government training session being added to the conference. A subcommittee was formed to review and make recommendations.
For further details or questions, please email Sheila O’Connor.
