On March 12th MSSA members on behalf of NACS participated in eight congressional meetings with members of Congress and Congressional staffers. Throughout the day, the goal was to educate members of Congress and staffers about important issues in our industry, lobby them and get their support on our issues.
Many issues covered during the Day on the Hill were the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA), SNAP and Year-round E15.
Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA)- Allows merchants a secondary rail (similar to Debit Cards) requiring two network routing options on a credit card. Networks then compete for the merchant to use their network and merchants will have a choice. These competitive networks are eight times more secure than Visa/MC. Saves a store in our industry an average of $10,000 annually in credit card fees.
Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA)- Many MSSA members are S-corps as the 199A Deduction allows our members to achieve greater tax equity vs. larger competitors such as C-corps. 199A also allows our members to invest in their employees while claiming the deduction. Members structured as C-corps, reduces the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% recognizing lower tax burdens allowing more resources for expansion and innovation.
SNAP/Hot Foods Act – Over 50 years ago when the SNAP program was created, hot foods were restricted from the program. Many MSSA members have hot foods and would like them to be accessible via SNAP. Imagine frying up chicken tenders and selling them warm and exempt from SNAP. At the end of the night, those extra chicken fingers are placed in a container and sold through the cold case. Now the chicken tenders are a valid SNAP item. Just really inconsistent and time for modernization of SNAP.
Year-round E15 /Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act– For many years MSSA members and others have been longing for the 1-lb. waiver to able to sell E-15 (UNL88) in the summer months without an emergency waiver. Although eight midwestern states (Minnesota Included) have forced the issue with their opt-out petitions, raising prices and forcing the market into vulnerable to supply shocks. The Convenience and fueling industry sells over 80% of the motor fuels in the US., including E15 and other biofuels our customers want to buy.