Committee approves Connecticut bill limiting access to vintage vehicle registrations, property tax increase

SEMA Action Network update

Connecticut Committee on Planning and Development Approves Bill to Limit Access to Antique/Rare/Special Interest Motor Vehicle Registration, Increase Property Taxes

Legislation (H.B. 5405) to increase the age requirement for vehicles eligible for registration as “antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles” was approved by the Connecticut Joint Committee on Planning and Development by a narrow 10-9 vote. Under the bill, vehicles seeking registration as antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles would be required to be at least 30 years old. Currently, vehicles 20 years old or older are eligible for this status and special license plates. For the purpose of property taxes, the bill also increases the maximum assessment of these vehicles from $500 to $2,000. The bill will now be sent to the Connecticut House of Representatives for a vote by all members.

We Urge You to Contact All Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives (List Attached Below) Immediately to Request Their Opposition to H.B. 5405
H.B. 5405 makes it more difficult to register legitimate antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles, which are defined under the bill as thirty years old or older and being preserved because of historic interest and not altered or modified from the original manufacturer's specifications.

H.B. 5405 seeks to narrow property tax benefits for antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles by assessing their value at a higher rate.

H.B. 5405 will require antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles that no longer qualify for special plates to have them replaced with standard plates and taxed using the same calculations used to assess taxes on regular, daily driver vehicles.

H.B. 5405 makes no provision for “grandfathering” existing antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles 20-30 years old and allowing them to retain their current registration status.

H.B. 5405 ignores the fact that existing antique, rare or special interest motor vehicles constitute a small portion of the vehicle fleet and are well-maintained, infrequently operated and deserving of continued property tax benefits.

DON’T DELAY! Please contact members of the Connecticut House of Representatives immediately by phone or e-mail to request their opposition to H.B. 5405

Please e-mail a copy of your letter to Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org. Also, please forward this Alert to your fellow car enthusiasts. Urge them to join the SAN and help defend the hobby! Thank you for your assistance.

Connecticut House of Representatives

To e-mail all House members, copy and paste the email address block below:

Catherine.Abercrombie@cga.ct.gov; tim.ackert@housegop.ct.gov; al.adinolfi@housegop.ct.gov; Mike.Alberts@housegop.ct.gov; James.Albis@cga.ct.gov; David.Aldarondo@cga.ct.gov; Emil.Altobello@cga.ct.gov; Bill.Aman@cga.ct.gov; Joe.Aresimowicz@cga.ct.gov; Andres.Ayala@cga.ct.gov; Penny.Bacchiochi@housegop.ct.gov; Terry.Backer@cga.ct.gov; David.Baram@cga.ct.gov; Brian.Becker@cga.ct.gov; Jeffrey.Berger@cga.ct.gov; whit.betts@housegop.ct.gov; Betty.Boukus@cga.ct.gov; Larry.Butler@cga.ct.gov; Lawrence.Cafero@housegop.ct.gov; Fred.Camillo@housegop.ct.gov; Juan.Candelaria@cga.ct.gov; Vincent.Candelora@housegop.ct.gov; christie.carpino@housegop.ct.gov; dan.carter@housegop.ct.gov; Clark.Chapin@housegop.ct.gov; Charles.Clemons@cga.ct.gov;Michelle.Cook@cga.ct.gov; Christopher.Coutu@housegop.ct.gov; Jim.Crawford@cga.ct.gov; Anthony.DAmelio@housegop.ct.gov; Stephen.Dargan@cga.ct.gov; Paul.Davis@cga.ct.gov; christopher.davis@housegop.ct.gov; Patricia.Dillon@cga.ct.gov; Christopher.Donovan@cga.ct.gov; Lou.Esposito@cga.ct.gov; Kim.Fawcett@cga.ct.gov; Andrew.Fleischmann@cga.ct.gov; Mae.Flexer@cga.ct.gov; Livvy.Floren@housegop.ct.gov; Gerald.Fox@cga.ct.gov; Dan.Fox@cga.ct.gov; John.Frey@housegop.ct.gov; Mary.Fritz@cga.ct.gov; henry.genga@cga.ct.gov; Linda.Gentile@cga.ct.gov; Lile.Gibbons@housegop.ct.gov; Janice.Giegler@housegop.ct.gov; Marilyn.Giuliano@housegop.ct.gov; Bob.Godfrey@cga.ct.gov; Minnie.Gonzalez@cga.ct.gov; len.greene@housegop.ct.gov; Auden.Grogins@cga.ct.gov; Tony.Guerrera@cga.ct.gov; Gregory.Haddad@cga.ct.gov; Gail.Hamm@cga.ct.gov; Jack.Hennessy@cga.ct.gov; John.Hetherington@housegop.ct.gov; Ernest.Hewett@cga.ct.gov; Gary.Holder-Winfield@cga.ct.gov; DebraLee.Hovey@housegop.ct.gov; Laura.Hoydick@housegop.ct.gov; Bryan.Hurlburt@cga.ct.gov; Tony.Hwang@housegop.ct.gov; Claire.Janowski@cga.ct.gov; Susan.Johnson@cga.ct.gov; Ed.Jutila@cga.ct.gov; David.Kiner@cga.ct.gov; Marie.Lopez.Kirkley-Bey@cga.ct.gov; Themis.Klarides@housegop.ct.gov; Noreen.Kokoruda@housegop.ct.gov; brenda.kupchick@housegop.ct.gov; David.Labriola@housegop.ct.gov; Timothy.Larson@cga.ct.gov; gail.lavielle@housegop.ct.gov; Tim.LeGeyt@housegop.ct.gov; roland.lemar@cga.ct.gov; Matthew.Lesser@cga.ct.gov; Rick.Lopes@cga.ct.gov; Geoff.Luxenberg@cga.ct.gov; Christopher.Lyddy@cga.ct.gov; Douglas.McCrory@cga.ct.gov; Robert.Megna@cga.ct.gov; Steve.Mikutel@cga.ct.gov; Philip.Miller@cga.ct.gov; Patricia.Miller@cga.ct.gov; Lawrence.Miller@housegop.ct.gov; Craig.Miner@housegop.ct.gov; michael.molgano@housegop.ct.gov; Russell.Morin@cga.ct.gov; Bruce.Morris@cga.ct.gov; Edward.Moukawsher@cga.ct.gov; Mary.Mushinsky@cga.ct.gov; Sandy.Nafis@cga.ct.gov; Vickie.Nardello@cga.ct.gov; Frank.Nicastro@cga.ct.gov; Selim.Noujaim@housegop.ct.gov; Elaine.OBrien@cga.ct.gov; Arthur.ONeill@housegop.ct.gov; Melissa.Riley@cga.ct.gov; Linda.Orange@cga.ct.gov; jason.perillo@housegop.ct.gov; Chris.Perone@cga.ct.gov; John.Piscopo@housegop.ct.gov; Rosa.Rebimbas@housegop.ct.gov; Lonnie.Reed@cga.ct.gov; Tom.Reynolds@cga.ct.gov; John.Rigby@housegop.ct.gov; Elizabeth.Ritter@cga.ct.gov; Matthew.Ritter@cga.ct.gov; Hector.Robles@cga.ct.gov; Jason.Rojas@cga.ct.gov; Kelvin.Roldan@cga.ct.gov; Kim.Rose@cga.ct.gov; Danny.Rovero@cga.ct.gov; TR.Rowe@housegop.ct.gov; Richard.Roy@cga.ct.gov; Kevin.Ryan@cga.ct.gov; rob.sampson@housegop.ct.gov; Bobby.Sanchez@cga.ct.gov; Ezequiel.Santiago@cga.ct.gov; Pamela.Sawyer@housegop.ct.gov; Peggy.Sayers@cga.ct.gov; Linda.Schofield@cga.ct.gov; David.Scribner@housegop.ct.gov; Joseph.Serra@cga.ct.gov; john.shaban@housegop.ct.gov; Brendan.Sharkey@cga.ct.gov; bill.simanski@housegop.ct.gov; richard.smith@housegop.ct.gov; prasad.srinivasan@housegop.ct.gov; Charlie.Stallworth@cga.ct.gov; Jonathan.Steinberg@cga.ct.gov; Joseph.Taborsak@cga.ct.gov; Kathy.Tallarita@cga.ct.gov; Peter.Tercyak@cga.ct.gov; Jack.Thompson@cga.ct.gov; William.Tong@cga.ct.gov; Diana.Urban@cga.ct.gov; Joe.Verrengia@cga.ct.gov; Peter.Villano@cga.ct.gov; bill.wadsworth@housegop.ct.gov; Toni.Walker@cga.ct.gov; Patricia.Widlitz@cga.ct.gov; Sean.Williams@housegop.ct.gov; Roberta.Willis@cga.ct.gov; Terrie.Wood@housegop.ct.gov; Christopher.Wright@cga.ct.gov; dave.yaccarino@housegop.ct.gov; Zeke.Zalaski@cga.ct.gov