ATSSA Signal May June 2020

The Signal | May/June 2020 15 Government Relations Amid the daily drumbeat of jarring news related to COVID-19, members of the Heart of America ATSSA Chap - ter celebrated a transportation victory this spring. Both houses of the Kansas legislature voted March 19 to pass a state trans - portation bill that lays the groundwork for the next decade. The AssociatedPress reported thatmany lawmakers viewed thebill as a “$10billion stimulus tocounter theeconomicdamage from the coronavirus pandemic.” Members of the Heart of America ATSSA (HOA-ATSSA) Chapter leadership partici - pated in the Economic Lifelines Coalition Advocacy Day in Topeka on Feb. 12. They had a booth in the state Capitol high - lighting the work that ATSSA members do throughout Kansas. Additionally, they met with TransportationCommittee lead - ers and the state Secretary of Transpor - tation Julie Lorenz and participated in a press conference with Gov. Laura Kelly. “The HOA-ATSSA Chapter was thrilled to be part of the process and coalition that got this bill over the finish line and to the governor’s desk for her signa - ture,” said HOA-ATSSA board member Kevin Shelton, owner and estimator at C-HAWKK Construction Inc. “Between meetings with legislative leadership and KDOT executives, the chapter was instrumental in ensuring that the voice of roadway safety was heard loud and clear in Topeka.” In April, the governor signed the bill into law. Nathan Smith, ATSSA’s vice president of Government Relations, said the work of the HOA-ATSSA Chapter demonstrates the impact of grassroots advocacy. “It’s crucial that ATSSA members and chapters become involved in the legis - lative process, both at the state and federal level,” he said. “Without elected officials hearing the stories and experi - ences fromour members’ lives, they will not fully understand the positive impact that our industry has on saving lives all around the country.” Advocacy dayswith state legislators, such aswhat happened inKansas, demonstrate the impact. The Government Relations Teamencourages chapters to plan them and to reach out to local legislators as well as take part in the annual Legislative Briefing & Fly-In where ATSSAmembers get pointers on advocacy and get tomeet with members of Congress. This year’s Fly-Inwas postponed from its original April date to Sept. 9–10 because of the coronaviruspandemic. Registration is available at ATSSA.com/Flyin. Partic - ipation in the event is free to members, who are responsible for their travel and lodging costs. The New Mexico ATSSA Chapter held an advocacy day this year and the New EnglandATSSAChapteralsohopes tomeet with state legislators in Maine this year. The Kansas legislation, SB 173—the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Plan, becomes the state’s 10-year, $10 billion transportationplan, witha focusonsafety and economic growth. The bill passed in the House by a vote of 112-3 and in the Senate by a vote of 37-2. “In the midst of a global pandemic, the Heart of America Chapter of ATSSA pushed through a safety-focused 10-year, $10billion transportationplan for Kansas,” Smith said. “Through meetings with state legislators and the Kansas DOT Secretary among others, theHOA-ATSSA Chapter Board ensured that the voice of roadway safety was heard loudly and clearly in Topeka. It was a ray of hope in an otherwise chaotic week around the country.”  Heart of America Chapter celebrates impact of advocacy Kansas legislature passes $10 billion transportation funding bill Heart of America ATSSA Chapter members visited the Kansas legislature in February and met with state officials including Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz, center. From left, they are Bill Francis of Twin Traffic Marking Corp. in Kansas City, Kevin Shelton of C-Hawkk Construction Inc. in Eudora, John Cillessen of Cillessen and Sons in Kechi, and Randy Barth with 3M Corp. in Topeka.