by Bryan Budds, Manager
AOPA Great Lakes Region
As we approach warmer flying weather and hopefully putting the flurries behind us, I wanted to update you on some of the significant legislative issues AOPA has been working on in the Great Lakes Region, and events where you will have an opportunity to interact directly with AOPA staff.
On the legislative front, AOPA is actively engaged in many issues in each of the eight Great Lakes states – many of which deal with state aviation taxation.
If you are an Indiana-based pilot or travel extensively in the state, you probably know that Indiana’s cumulative fuel tax rates are the highest in the country. Over the past year, AOPA has been working with both the state House and Senate leadership on ways to lessen this burden and attract additional aviation activity to the state. We have found very supportive members of the legislature and remain hopeful that significant steps to improve Indiana’s aviation sector will be accomplished this session. Similarly, if you base or maintain your aircraft in Minnesota, you may also see sales tax in the aviation news as local aviation organizations and AOPA seek to provide a sales tax exemption for the parts and labor used to repair aircraft within the state. Of course, we are actively working in North and South Dakota, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin as well, and look forward to updating you on those issues in the future.
AOPA will also be active beyond the statehouses as we again enter the state aviation conference season. Right now, AOPA plans to attend the Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium in Fargo, North Dakota; the Wisconsin Aviation Conference in Madison, Wisconsin; and the Michigan Airport Conference in East Lansing, Michigan. I would be happy to meet with you at these events to discuss our legislative activity! Until then, feel free to reach out to me on twitter@AOPAGreatlakes or via email: bryan.budds@aopa.org.
