Please join us for great conversation and food, an opportunity to connect with your peers.

Representative Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Speaker of the House, will share her insights on legislative issues affecting the automobile industry and the business community.

Tuesday, September 9, 12-2 p.m.

North Oaks Golf Club, 55 East Oaks Road, North Oaks, MN

www.northoaksgolfclub.com

You are encouraged to extend this invitation to other women in the business who you would like to join us for this event.

Please RSVP by 8/29/08 to Sandy at brom@mada.org or 651-789-2934

The 2008 Minnesota Legislature increased a number of motor vehicle taxes and fees.

• Transit sales and use tax for 5-county metro - effective July 1, 2008
• Transit $20 excise tax for each sale by a 5-county metro dealer - effective July 1, 2008
• DVS fee increases of $1.75 for several fees - effective July 1, 2008
• Registration fee increases because of phase out of caps - effective September 1, 2008

Here are some links to MADA and Department of Revenue memos and fact sheets.

Department of Revenue Fact Sheet on the transit taxes
MADA Memo describing all of the new taxes and fees
Updated DVS Fee Chart

The National Automobile Dealers Association designed a “Model” Key Replacement Form to help dealers verify and document the identity and vehicle ownership interest of customers seeking replacement keys.

Link to model form.

The model form requires customers and employees to fill in certain basic information.  It also requires customers to show picture IDs and documents demonstrating vehicle ownership.

Before adapting the form to their own use, dealers should make sure that they are also following any manufacturer guidelines for key replacement.

The 2008 Legislative Recap is complete and posted on the website by Alyssa Schlander, director of government affairs.  Click the link below to review it.

KARE TV reported on the impact of fuel costs on the industry during Thursday, May 22 news.  Staff at Walser Toyota were interviewed.  To see the videotape, click this link to kare11.com:

http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=71725&bw=

Check regularly for the most up-to-date information.

www.DontTakeMyTruck.com

Brief, timely email updates on various topics will be sent to subscribers of the new MADA Email Newslist service.  The Legislative Updates email list written by Alyssa Schlander has drawn many new subscribers.  Click here to subscribe to one or more of the new MADA Newslists: Fraud Alerts, Legal Updates, People News.

Many of you are on the news list and get your Legislative Bulletins sent to your email inbox.  If you  do not, all back copies are posted in the Political Page click here.  If you want to subscribe to receive the Legislative Bulletin by email, click here

Effective January 1, 2008 Minnesota employers with more than 20 employees must begin notifying new hires in writing of their “rights and remedies” under the Minnesota Statutes §181.960 - §181.966 which allows them to review their personnel file.

The form of the notice is not specified in the law, so there are options for employers to comply.  Employers should either revise their current handbook so it provides the notice upon hire or create a “written notice” that documents that each new hire has been given the notice.

A sample form is available here.