September 26, 2013
Regulatory and legislative issues – both at the national and state level – were on the agenda at last week’s informational town hall meeting at Boeing Field in Seattle, hosted jointly by NBAA and the Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association (PNBAA). In addition to providing the latest regulatory and legislative updates for the NBAA and PNBAA members in attendance, the meeting attracted the leadership of a number of regional aviation groups, including the Washington Pilots Association and the Washington Airport Managers Association.
State Senator Jim Honeyford, R-15th Legislative District, also attended the town hall and expressed his support of business aviation and his understanding of the importance of business aviation to the state of Washington.
“We were very pleased that Senator Honeyford also indicated his interest in the concept of a general aviation caucus in the Washington legislature,” said Kristi Ivey, NBAA’s Northwest regional representative. “We have already provided Senator Honeyford with additional information and look forward to working with him on raising awareness about business aviation at the state capital.”
NBAA’s Lisa Piccione, senior vice president of government affairs, presented an overview of the national legislative landscape. Mike Nichols, NBAA’s vice president, operational excellence and professional development, partnered with PNBAA’s Alan Burnett to discuss current and possible future regulatory and tax issues and their impact on business aviation.
“We have been working for several years on a couple of tax issues in the state of Washington that would set a damaging precedent that could be easily copied by other states,” said Nichols, adding that NBAA and PNBAA have been working with the Washington Dept. of Revenue to make them aware of the potential harmful impact of these regulations and interpretations on business aviation. In addition to updating attendees about the tax concerns, Nichols discussed NBAA’s strategic approach to both current and possible upcoming regulatory issues.
Also, several tax issues at the federal level were the topic of a presentation by NBAA’s Scott O’Brien, senior manager of finance and tax policy.
NBAA’s Ivey noted that the town hall was a continued expression of general aviation interests coming together for the good of all in the state of Washington. “NBAA is committed to continuing its work at both the state and federal level to protect and further the interests of our members in the state,” said Ivey.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.