Effective political representation, and education, is critical to the future of your business. That’s why AWMA has established new services dedicated to maintaining and strengthening your association’s government affairs program. Click here to see a flyer of how AWMA's Government Affairs is working for you.

•    AWMA has a powerful legislative Web portal designed to allow members access to crucial legislative information at the federal, state and even the local level! This state-of-the-art Internet action tool connects you directly to your legislators at all levels of government with the simple click of the mouse, giving you the most current, complete and reliable information on your legislators’ voting records, election coverage, full texts of bills and much more. This new technology is critical to promoting a strong grassroots program that will enable our industry to mobilize on issues of importance to your business!
•    In addition, AWMA continues to offer the distributor member – AWMA Tobacco Newsletter – which provides up-to-date, comprehensive information on every facet of tobacco news and issues.
•    AWMA has also instituted a monthly conference call with our state association Executive Directors to promote improved communication between our various associations and to facilitate lobbying efforts to all the legislative levels. Each month, AWMA invites a featured speaker to address the participants on a wide variety of topics of mutual concern to our industry.
•    AWMA represents the convenience distribution industry on Capitol Hill. We keep on top of bills being introduced to Congress and track their movement – then use our AWMA Executive Update and AWMA White Papers to keep members apprised of this information. Through our Political Action Committee we raise money for pro-business candidates and lobby for issues that affect our industry, paying particular attention to legislation on tobacco, taxes, labor and other small-business issues. To begin receiving the AWMA Executive Update newsletter, e-mail Jennifer Moulton at jenniferm@awmanet.org.
•    AWMA also supports the WE CARD, a program that helps your retail customers comply with tobacco sales restrictions. Visit www.wecard.org for more information.

In short, AWMA’s government affairs program will help our industry meet the political and legislative challenges that lie ahead and will go a long way towards promoting the vitality of our businesses.

FEDERAL ISSUES

•    FDA Regulation of Tobacco Product
•    Remote Sale of Cigarettes
•    Obesity Issues
•    Minimum Wage
•    Estate (or "Death") Tax
•    Creation of Association Health Plans (AHPs)
•    Coalition to Stop Contraband Tobacco

STATE ISSUES

•    State Laws on Pseudoephedrine
•    Memo from Scott Ramminger on Pseudoephedrine and Ephedrine Issues
•    FDA Bans Ephedra
•    States that have enacted Complementary NPM Legislation
•    State and Regional Associations
•    State Excise Taxes on Cigarettes

TOBACCO ISSUES

•    AWMA RESEARCH STUDY - Internet Cigarette Sales Study UPDATED
•    AWMA testimony on behalf of HR 4081
•    FET (federal excise tax) Talking Points
•    AWMA Files Comments with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Regarding the Proposed Rulemaking on Classification of Cigars and Cigarettes
•    Low Ignition Propensity Cigarettes (LIP): How Does This Issue Affect YOU?
•    AWMA RESEARCH STUDY — Internet Cigarette Sales: Federal Action is Needed Now
•    Go directly to the National Association of Attorneys General Tobacco Project Web page
•    Tobacco Excise Tax Increases: Outlook for 2004 & Information You Can Use to Combat Excessive Increases
•    FDA Regulation of Tobacco Product 
•   Break the Chain information - to protect children from tobacco abuse.
•   Add syndicated FDA tobacco info to your website
•   We Card - Company Policy Sample Document