Four of the boating industry’s most influential organizations were on Capitol Hill this week WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of the Congressional Boating Caucus and their staff gathered this week for a briefing on the state of the nation’s recreational boating and fishing industries. Matt Gruhn, president of the Marine Retailers Association, joined with leaders of […]

To help you keep up with the 2016 election, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) government relations team has put together a new resource called Election Center 2016.  Another great resource the NMMA and MRAA government relations team wanted to share is a comprehensive calendar of primary and […]

Register for the 2016 American Boating Congress Now!  Paul Begala is a commentator for CNN, where he is part of the political team that has won both an “Emmy” and a “Peabody Award.” Begala was an advisory to President Clinton and in the 2012 campaign he was a senior adviser for the pro-Obama Super PAC, […]

The boating industry has long opposed ethanol mandates because of the impact higher ethanol levels could have on marine engines. The issue has become a top advocacy priority of both MRAA and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which recently merged political action committees. See how your congressional representatives voted on the 2005 “Ethanol Bill.”  Read […]

Federal Elections Committee grants final approval to merger of MRAA and NMMA political action committees WASHINGTON, DC — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and the National Marine Manufacturers Association have merged their political action committees to form one voice for recreational boating on Capitol Hill.  BoatPAC, the recreational boating industry’s political action committee, […]

Via the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey (MTA/NJ):  The recreational boating industry in New Jersey was given a big boost this month when Governor Christie signed a new sales tax bill into law. The bill provides a partial exemption and maximum sales and use tax imposition amount for boats and vessels, as well as […]

Coast Guard Bill Placed on Senate Calendar Notable contents affecting U.S. boat dealers include $1.5 million for the National Recreational Boating Survey and reauthorization of the Sportfish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act. Additionally, the bill’s contents direct the Coast Guard to begin developing a model for a national recreational vessel training curriculum and education […]

How You Can Support the Miami International Boat Show You’ve likely been following the developments and challenges surrounding the Miami International Boat Show, one of the most significant and influential shows in our industry, and celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2016. Most recently, Miami­Dade County delayed a vote on issuing a key permit for the […]

Inside New U.S. Transportation Bill and How it Affects Boat Dealers Leaders within both the recreational boating and fishing sectors believe these updates will strengthen what is already the world’s premier aquatic conversation and boating access program, while ●      New language regarding the $1.2 million that funds the Sport Fish and Boating Partnership Council and […]

Are YOU interested in having your voice heard when it comes to how the U.S. government classifies and tracks various occupations at your dealership? If so, please accept this invitation to join a special teleconference call this Wednesday, Dec. 9, to discuss updates to the “Standards of Occupational Classification,” a document currently being drafted and […]