Advocacy Update

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWritten by Forrest Wall, CAE, Staff Vice President and Industry Relations

It’s An Election Year – Help AAM-PAC Make A Difference!

The policies pursued by our state elected leaders can have a swift and significant impact on your operations and profitability. So with all 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives, all 38 seats in the Michigan Senate, the Governor’s office, and other key leadership posts up for election this year, it is imperative that business owners are involved in the political process.

One great way to have your voice heard is to support AAM-PAC. AAM-PAC is the Apartment Association’s political action committee, which utilizes contributions from members and aggregates them into one fund. This fund is used to financially support those elected officials who understand the important role of rental housing in Michigan’s economy. In short, we do the legwork for you to find the candidates who will best represent your business, and then support their campaign.

AAM has been very successful in recent years, including the following victories:

• Interest Rate on Tax Tribunal Appeals – increased the statutory interest rate on Tax Tribunal appeals.

• Nonrecourse Mortgage Loan Provisions – helped to rectify the problems with certain loan covenants in nonrecourse commercial loan transactions.

AAM’s top legislative priority for this session is our proposal for Apartment Inspection Law Reform.

Remember, AAM-PAC contributions must be made via personal, partnership, or LLP check or credit cards. Please contact me at 248-862-1004 to make your contribution today!


NAHB Petition Accepted By Supreme Court In Greenhouse Gas Case

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition by a coalition of organizations, including the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in a case of importance to the apartment industry. The case, American Chemistry Council (ACC), et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will determine if the EPA has the authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, which could include apartment buildings along with factories, refineries and power plants. If the EPA is allowed to pursue this policy, it could mean expensive pre-construction permits for greenhouse gas emissions on new developments. Based on EPA estimates, the cost of the permit could be approximately $60,000 per new multifamily property, with additional costs based on delays. Oral arguments in the case will be held this month, with a decision expected in late spring 2014.

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