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February 28, 2019

Dear NJGCA Member:

Thank you for reading this week's NJGCA Road Warrior!

Here is what you will find in this edition:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

• Finding Qualified Technicians For Your Repair Shops; Visa and Mastercard Legal Update; Community Right to Know Survey 2019; Governor Murphy Signs Paid Family Leave Legislation; Self Serve Legislator Meetings; NJGCA Webinar Series: Hiring and Firing Practices; Young Professionals Meeting

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Mercer County: Gas Station for Sale
- Monmouth County: Gas Station and Repair Shop Business Since 2001

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

• Minors Should Be Banned From Vaping In N.J., These Republicans Say
• California Resurrects Bloomberg-Like Soda Ban
• Connecticut Governor Pushes Sugar Tax
• Big Changes Coming For Paid Family Leave In N.J. As Murphy Signs Law
• Gas Station Owners Want Judge To Toss New Jersey City Biz District
• Murphy, Sweeney, Coughlin Reach Deal On Marijuana Legalization

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!

??????• EMISSIONS INSPECTOR TRAINING CLASS: March date TBD
??????• ENTIRE EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: Coming soon in March
??????• RECERTIFICATION EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: Coming soon in March

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
• The Amato Agency: Garage Insurance and Workers Compensation!
• ATS Environmental: Confidence in your Tank & Compliance Testing
• Bellomo Fuel: Exceptional Service, Aggressive Petroleum Marketing
• CBIZ Insurance: Our Business is Growing Yours!
• Gill Energy: Getting you There!
• Lending Capital: "Commercial Loans Made Easy" Program
• Salomone Brothers: Tank Testing and Environmental Compliance
• TMP Energy Solutions: Another Way to Save On Your Energy Bills

POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
• Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

FINDING QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS FOR YOUR REPAIR SHOPS
VISA AND MASTERCARD LEGAL UPDATE
COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW SURVEY 2019
GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNS PAID FAMILY LEAVE LEGISLATION
SELF SERVE LEGISLATOR MEETINGS
NJGCA WEBINAR SERIES: HIRING AND FIRING PRACTICES
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MEETING

QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS

Recently, I mentioned how serious I am in tackling the dilemma that repair shops have been faced with finding qualified technicians to fix their customers cars. Eric and I have had several meetings with the Department of Labor, hoping that we can construct some kind of an apprentice program. However, in order to properly construct this program, we need some information from our members. You should have all recently received a survey regarding your challenges hiring qualified technicians, and also to gauge your interest in an apprentice program. The survey went out yesterday, if you have not yet responded, you can do so by clicking HERE. Also, NJGCA has added a new member benefit partner, United Recruiter that should be able to assist you to recruit technicians and service writers. You should all be receiving the 2019 MBP brochure within the next few weeks in your mailboxes which will feature United Recruiter and all of our other new and returning MBPs.

VISA AND MASTERCARD

If you all remember a few years ago, Visa and Mastercard settled with Merchants Nationwide because of the fees that they charged. You were all given an opportunity back then to either opt out of the settlement or accept the settlement. Had you accepted the settlement, you would have been precluded from suing Visa and Mastercard in the future for the infractions that they were accused of. You may remember that we were encouraging members to opt out of the settlement. Ultimately, a judge threw out that settlement and now a new settlement has been reached. Although I do not have the details at this time, I expect you all will be asked a similar question: to accept a meager payment from Visa and Mastercard in exchange for agreeing not to sue them, or opt out of the settlement. Details will develop in the coming weeks.

COMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOW SURVEY

Repair shops pay attention here. Please note that Community Right to Know surveys are due at the end of March 2019. Last year, we updated the Community Right to Know guidance document to include motor oil and antifreeze. You can find that document here.

PAID FAMILY LEAVE

Continuing his streak of signing off on burdensome legislation for small businesses, Governor Murphy signed legislation to expand the Paid Family Leave Act. This expansion will make it easier for employees to take extended paid leave to care for newborns, ill family members and/or close family friends. Note: this is completely separate from the paid sick leave legislation also recently enacted late last year. This is a 10-year-old program run through the state (rather than the employer, as the paid sick leave legislation is). Before, employees could take six weeks of paid leave. The new legislation permits employees to take up to 12 weeks. Additionally, under the current law, businesses with fewer than 50 employees were not required to keep the employees position open for the employee to come back to should they take paid family leave time. The new update lowers that number to 30 employees. While labor advocates wanted this exemption deleted entirely, NJGCA fought hard against this. The new law goes into effect July 1 of 2020.

SELF SERVE MEETINGS

We have scheduled multiple meetings with legislators regarding self serve legislation. We always like to bring members with us, especially on this issue. We are looking for members who will accompany us when we meet with legislators in your area. If you are interested in attending, please contact Eric at eric@njgca.org if you are able to attend one of these meetings when scheduled.

UPCOMING WEBINARS

We will be hosting more webinars on employment law and best practices. These next two will be a companion series. The first will be on best hiring practices and will be hosted by McCusker, Anselmi, Rosen & Carvelli (MARC) Law MBP Alicyn Craig on March 20th from 2-3 PM. The second will be on Firing Practices and how to handle difficult employees, and will be hosted by MBP Horowitz Law Firm’s Steven Horowitz on April 3rd from 2-3 PM. I suggest you sign up for both in order to get a comprehensive look into the best ways to handle these difficult situations by legal experts. You will be receiving these invites in your inbox, but you can also sign up for these webinars by clicking HERE and HERE.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

NJGCA's Young Professionals will be hosting another event on Thursday, March 21st at 6 PM at The Plank Pizza Co. in Saddle Brook. If you are interested in joining this event, know of a young professional who might be interested, or would like to help sponsor the event; please contact Michelle at michelle@njgca.org. Additional details on the event to follow.

That's all for this week-

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753

Emissions Inspector Training Class - One Day Only!
March date TBD -- 7 AM to 3 PM

Want one of your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help! Our one-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector, and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices! Classes run from 7:00am to 3:00pm. Cost is $275 for members. March date coming soon.

Want to become an emission repair technician/facility?
Entire Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP) Training Classes
Sections 1-7
1 PM to 9 PM
Exact dates coming soon!

Sections 8, 9, 10 (RECERTIFICATION)
1 PM to 9 PM
Exact dates coming soon!

Stop turning away work!

The New Jersey Inspection Program requires vehicles that fail emissions inspection to go to a Licensed Certified Emission Repair Facility and have a Licensed Emission Repair Technician perform the repairs! When the new Emissions Inspection program begins, a list of Certified Emission Repair Facilities will be given to the vehicle owners who fail the New Jersey Emission Inspection. If you want your business name on the list – make sure you have a Certified Licensed Emission Repair Technician and you are licensed as a Emission Repair Facility! Those signing up for the FULL training course will attend sections 1-10. Full ETEP class fees for members are $2,195 and non-members are $2,395. Recertification fees for members are $729 and non-members are $879.

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 732-256-9646 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!

CLASSIFIEDS -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS

NEW!
FOR SALE:
GAS STATION FOR SALE
EWING NEW JERSEY
OWNER RETIRING
CALL: 609-882-1105

FOR SALE:

Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

2/26/19
Minors Should Be Banned From Vaping In N.J., These Republicans Say
A pair of Republican state lawmakers want to make it illegal for minors to vape in New Jersey. A bill introduced Tuesday would bar anyone under the age of 21 from possessing electronic smoking devices, also known as e-cigarettes or vapes. . . But the sponsors, Assembly members BettyLou DeCroce and Anthony M. Bucco, both R-Morris, said nothing prohibits minors from actually possessing such devices. . .Under this bill, those who violate the statute would face a fine. It’s not specified how much it would be.

2/22/19
California Resurrects Bloomberg-Like Soda Ban
The California Legislature might have approved a ban that prohibits cities from approving new taxes on soda, but that doesn’t mean lawmakers are done limiting soda consumption, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Lawmakers have introduced bills that would prohibit large soda and sugary drink displays, as well as require warning labels on soft drinks. . . One bill would limit the size of sugar-sweetened drinks sold in unsealed containers—fountain drinks—to 16 ounces in retail locations, including restaurants. This measure is very similar to one backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, which New York courts ultimately ruled as unconstitutional in June 2014.

2/22/19
Connecticut Governor Pushes Sugar Tax
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has unveiled his new budget agenda this week, and included in the proposal is a 1.5 cents per ounce tax for sugar-sweetened beverages, Politico reports. Such a tax would translate into an additional 18 cents for a 12-ounce soft drink can. Other proposed taxes include a quarter deposit on wine and liquor bottle purchases, plus a 10-cent charge for plastic bags. The governor isn’t trying to only generate income—he’s attempting to change consumer behavior, according to Ryan Drajewicz, the governor’s chief of staff. The governor’s office estimated that these new taxes could bring in around $35 million annually.

2/19/19
Big Changes Coming For Paid Family Leave In N.J. As Murphy Signs Law
Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Tuesday an extensive expansion of New Jersey’s 10-year-old paid family leave program, allowing workers in the state to take off more time to care for a newborn or sick relative and to collect a larger piece of their pay while on leave. . .Starting July 1, 2020, eligible workers will be able to receive 80 percent of their wages — up to $860 — for 12 weeks. Siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and parents-in-law also are now newly covered as caregivers, effective immediately. Caregivers may also qualify for benefits to care for a family member who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence. Previously, only children, parents, spouses, domestic partners and civil union partners qualified.

2/18/19
Gas Station Owners Want Judge To Toss New Jersey City Biz District
The owners of a Kennedy Boulevard gas station want a judge to throw out the city’s new West Side business district, saying the district was created improperly. The two-count lawsuit was filed in Hudson County Superior Court on Jan. 31. It alleges the city did not perform a preliminary assessment to determine if the SID is necessary.

2/15/19
Murphy, Sweeney, Coughlin Reach Deal On Marijuana Legalization
Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders have reached a broad agreement on a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey, according to four sources familiar with the negotiations. . .Under terms of the agreement, New Jersey will impose a $42 per ounce tax on the sale of recreational cannabis, three of the sources said. Taxing marijuana sales by weight, rather than as a percentage of sales, is expected to mitigate any impact a larger cannabis supply might have on the price of pot, they said. Murphy, Sweeney and Coughlin also agreed that the Senate would waive its approval of the governor’s picks for a Cannabis Regulatory Commission, effectively granting the governor more sway in determining who will be responsible for regulating the industry.

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

TMP Energy Solutions

Another Way to Save on Your Energy Bills

We have had a number of NJGCA members successfully reduce their rate per kWh signing up through our energy saving program. We know it's difficult to collect 12 months worth of previous electric bills to get an "accurate" analysis when comparing a variable rate to a fixed rate, but we now have another option available.

This new solution is a power purchase option; the other program is still in full force and has saved members thousands of dollars. If you sign up for the power purchase option, you will be grouped with other NJGCA members until the minimum kW demand is acquired. By pooling the member's usage together, you will be able to take advantage, as large energy users do, and receive a lower kWh rate.

Each member will receive their own contract. Each member is responsible to sign and return the agreement the day it is received in order to secure the price for their group. Please do your due diligence, so when you receive the proposal and the agreement you will be able to make an intelligent decision.

If by chance, you still want us to assess you bills, to give you a price to compare, we will require 12 months of your most recent utility bills. There are no bills required, but we would still like to have one bill per meter on file to check account #'s, meter #'s service addresses and other pertinent information incase there is a problem.

The term of the agreement is for 12 months. During this term period, you will have price protection against any energy price increases along with a low fixed kWh rate.

If you are interested in becoming part of this power purchase option, please contact Greg Cannon at the NJGCA.

Remember when you sign up your energy through the NJGCA Energy Program, TMP makes a considerable donation to the NJGCA Scholarship Fund through their proceeds. This has no affect on your rate, and costs you nothing out of pocket.

We hope to help hundreds of NJGCA members reduce their utility costs by participating in this and our other cost reduction programs. Our purpose, in the endeavor, is to help NJGCA members lower their energy costs while supporting the NJGCA Scholarship Fund.

Contact GREG CANNON at 732-256-9646 or email Greg at greg@njgca.org. Mention that you are interested in saving money on your energy bills. NJGCA & TMP Energy Solutions will handle all the rest.

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: THE NJGCA PAC

DEFENDING OUR MEMBERS.
PROTECTING YOUR INTERESTS.
ANSWER THE CALL & CONTRIBUTE TODAY!!

Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members.

However, in order to truly affect the debate, we must ensure our friends in the Legislature are re-elected. It is for this reason that your Association has established the NJGCA PAC.

For too long, the weight of funding our Political Action Committee, the arm of the Association responsible for political donations, has rested upon a few. This is not only unfair to those few members who have shouldered this burden, but means we are not utilizing our full strength to affect the debate in Trenton.

To truly understand the importance of supporting our allies, consider our successes in Trenton:

We defeated BELOW COST SELLING
We made history in getting FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL signed into law!
We have built large support for RIGHT TO REPAIR and got it passed out of the Assembly
We defended your small business against the false accusations of Attorney General Anne Milgram
We gained wide support to move New Jersey to an all PIF Inspection System and close the CIF lanes
...and MUCH MORE!!

In each instance, we achieved these goals with the help of our friends in the Legislature!

If every member contributes just $100.00 we will be able to provide the help necessary to ensure victory for our allies.

PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
NJGCA PAC
4900 Route 33 West, Suite 100
Wall Township, NJ 07753
Please make your donation payable to NJGCA PAC

I understand that times are tough for all NJGCA members, but this is just as important as any battle we have fought in the past.

We have made great progress in Trenton. I hope that you will answer the call.

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.