2016 Friends 'N Fairways
August 3 & 4
Click here to Register
2016 NPCA Convention
Courtyard Marriott
Downtown- Haymarket
Lincoln, NE
September 28-30
PACE Show 2017
February 24 & 25
www.paceshow.com
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Thank You to NPCA's Partners
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Want to be an NPCA Partner,
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YOUR WEEKLY MEMBER NEWS LETTER:
is a service provided only to members of the Nebraska Petroleum Markers & Convenience Store Association (NPCA). If you have any key personnel that would like to be added at no additional charge, please feel free to reply to
[email protected], [email protected] or call (402)-474-6691.
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On Tuesday night the House passed the PMAA supported bipartisan "Small Business Healthcare Relief Act." In 2013, the Treasury Department issued a guidance prohibiting the use of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) for purchasing health insurance on the individual market, stating these arrangements did not satisfy the Affordable Care Act's minimum benefit and annual dollar cap requirements for health insurance plans offered by employers.
Under this guidance, employers who continue to offer HRAs are subject to a $100 per day, per employee penalty totaling up to $36,500 per year. These penalties went into effect on July 1, 2015. H.R. 5477, the "Small Business Healthcare Relief Act" would ensure that small businesses and local municipalities with fewer than 50 employees are allowed to continue using pre-tax dollars to give employees a defined contribution for healthcare expense; allow employees to use HRA funds to purchase health coverage on the individual market, as well as for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses if the employee has qualified health coverage; and protect employers from being financially penalized for providing this cost-sharing option to employees.
PMAA has been working with the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC) on this issue and is pleased that it passed. Please click
here to review the joint letter we sent to Congress.
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LIFO WILL BE PRESERVED UNDER SPEAKER RYAN'S NEW TAX PLAN
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House Republicans have been working on a series of six issue "blueprints" to set forth a policy agenda. The final blueprint, their tax proposal, will be publicly released today, but some information about the plan has been reported. Among the information that has been released, PMAA is particularly pleased that the proposal specifically calls for the retention of LIFO. The blueprint states: "With respect to inventory, the Blueprint will preserve the last-in-first-out (LIFO) method of accounting. The Committee on Ways and Means will continue to evaluate options for making the treatment of inventory more effective and efficient in the context of this new tax system."
This is a significant reversal of previous GOP tax reform proposals which have called for LIFO repeal - and it is a result of the effort the business community has made to educate legislators on the issue over the past decade. PMAA remains an active participant in the LIFO Coalition (SaveLifo.org) which has clearly and consistently communicated to Congress on the need to preserve the LIFO method of accounting.
LIFO is an inventory accounting method used by many PMAA member companies to determine tax liability. Primarily, LIFO is used to manage the costs of inflation. If inventory costs are rising, LIFO is a more accurate way of measuring financial performance and calculating tax. LIFO takes into account greater costs of replacing inventory, thereby, giving a more conservative measure of the financial condition of the business and the economic income to which tax should apply. Repealing LIFO would force PMAA member companies currently using this method to report their LIFO reserves as income, resulting in a massive tax increase for small business petroleum marketers across the country. Additionally, repealing LIFO would mean potentially higher future tax bills and would make it harder for PMAA member companies to manage inflation.
The House GOP plan is also expected to set the top individual income tax rate at 30 percent; include a 20 percent corporate rate; allow for 100 percent business expensing; and eliminate the interest deduction. Furthermore, the plan aims to push the tax system closer to a consumption tax, and will call for lower taxes on capital gains and dividends by offering a partial exclusion for that income.
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On Wednesday,
the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing regarding the proposed 2017 RFS volume of 18.8 billion (14.8 billion gallons of corn ethanol). Witnesses testifying before the Committee included: Acting Assistant EPA Administrator Janet McCabe; Howard Gruenspecht, deputy administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration; Chet Thompson, president of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers; Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association; Todd Teske, chairman, president, and CEO of Briggs & Stratton Corporation; Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Biofuels Business Council; Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation; Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board; and Tim Columbus, general counsel of the National Association of Convenience Stores and Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers Association of America.
EPA acting assistant Janet McCabe told the Subcommittee that the proposed 2017 RFS volume of 18.8 billion is "achievable," however she indicated that if the RFS were repealed, ethanol volumes would likely remain at 10 percent. More importantly, EIA Deputy Administrator Howard Gruenspecht said that increasing ethanol volumes will remain difficult due to lack of infrastructure and the regulatory challenges. PMAA applauded Mr. Gruenspecht's statement. House Energy and Commerce Committee member John Shimkus, who has expressed his intention to run for the House E&C Committee Chairmanship next year, reiterated his support of Rep. Bill Flores' bill known as "The Food and Fuel Consumer Protection Act," (H.R. 5180) which would cap the corn ethanol mandate at 9.7 percent. Meanwhile, some refiners continue to push the EPA to shift the point of obligation to the terminal level. Unfortunately, petroleum marketers who blend ethanol would be forced to meet Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). This would have a detrimental impact on the retail market and likely result in higher prices at the pump.
Overall, PMAA continues to urge the EPA to lower the 2017 proposed volume to 13.5 billion which still maintains ethanol in our nation's fuel supply, but it also will allow marketers to continue to sell E0 because motorists prefer it. Recently, PMAA specifically highlighted a petroleum marketer, Matt Bjornson, a third generation partner in a North Dakota based family owned petroleum marketing business, Bjornson Oil Company, and former Chairman of PMAA, who told his personal story about how he invested in UST system infrastructure to sell E10 plus blends and its dismal return on investment.
Click here to read PMAA's testimony.
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Lincoln Journal Star, June 24, 2016
 The Lincoln Police Department is investigating a series of credit card frauds reported over the past two weeks and are looking for other victims.
After a series of complaints, investigators noticed a common theme. Shortly before the fraudulent transactions showed up on accounts, each victim used his or her card at one of two Shell stations in Lincoln, 1449 N. 56th St. or 2030 S. 27th St.
Investigators believe skimming devices were placed on credit card readers at gas pumps to extract data from the customers' cards. The information was then used to create cloned credit cards and make unauthorized purchases.
The skimmers may have been active from May 25 to June 10.
Police encourage anyone who used their credit card at either Shell location to review their bank records.
The unauthorized purchases on skimmed accounts were primarily at Wal-Mart stores along the Interstate 80 corridor.
Contact your bank if your credit card has been compromised. Also, contact police at 402-441-6000.
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LOS ANGELES -- At one time, the City of Angels had more incidences of skimming at the pump than the entire nation combined, said a member of the Secret Service assigned to catch card-data thieves.
Through investigations and crackdowns, skimming in Los Angeles has decreased, said Steve Scarince, assistant to the special agent in charge, Los Angeles Field Office of the Washington, D.C.-based Secret Service. Florida is now the No. 1 state for skimmers, he told CSP Daily News.
Since skimming at the pump became a focus for his L.A.-based team in 2012, he's tracked the evolution of the devices. Here's what he's discovered:
 The Mini 123 skimmer is what Scarince called the "Model T" of skimmers. Functional and "ugly," he said it's commercially available for $60 to $200. With each card number fetching $100, thieves can recoup their investment after two cards. On average, the devices capture 400 to 800 card numbers before being discovered.
 People caught skimming tend to have industry experience, such as former station owners, technicians and attendants, Scarince said. They know the vulnerabilities of the pumps. In this example, he showed a ribbon wire inside the pump that transmits credit-card information "in the clear." Today's dispensers have more sophisticated locks, retailers use decals to identify tampering and employees do regular pump checks, but older pump models are still in the field and open to theft.
 Older skimmers passively record data, so thieves had to go back and pull them out to retrieve the card numbers. Authorities found that out, catching the thieves when they returned. Unfortunately, the thieves found a work-around. Now they attach Bluetooth devices and can sit in a parking lot across the street and collect data wirelessly.
 A "clip-on" attachment pierces the ribbon and connects the skimmer to the flow of data. The clip-on pieces leave puncture marks, which is a sign the pump has been compromised.
A common electronic device sold under the brand name Sidekick lets users transmit music to a Bluetooth speaker. Scarince said criminals convert the devices to transmit card data and personal identification numbers (PINs) in real time, with the skimmer unit storing no data.
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On Wednesday, President Obama signed into law the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration ("PHMSA") reauthorization bill, the Securing America's Future Energy: Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016 (S. 2276). The three-year reauthorization of PHMSA includes language of particular importance to PMAA.
The PIPES Act requires PHMSA to open a rulemaking addressing regulations that allow placarding to the lowest flash point for mixed loads of gasoline, diesel fuel and mid-level ethanol blends. PMAA believes that the language is broad enough for PHMSA to also consider PMAA's request to restore the ability to placard to the lowest flashpoint for both straight and mixed loads of gasoline and diesel fuel.
PMAA's interest in having a rulemaking arose with the issuance of a June 2015 Interpretative Guidance on placarding on cargo tank trucks. The guidance put an end to placarding to the lowest flash point for alternating straight loads of diesel fuel and gasoline. Marketers may still ship diesel fuel, gasoline and heating fuel in different compartments of the same cargo tank vehicle under a gasoline placard, but may no longer do the same for alternating straight loads of gasoline and diesel fuel.
Some states have already begun enforcing the Interpretative Guidance and it is only a matter of time before all states do so. PMAA is working to fix the problem before other states begin to enforce the placarding change. The penalty for a violation is $2,500. Under the rulemaking process, PMAA will seek a fix so that drivers will be able to resume placarding only to the lowest flashpoint for straight loads of gasoline and diesel. Otherwise the industry will incur an $84 million cost the first year and $80 million every year thereafter ($3,450 per cargo tank truck, per year) in material and primarily labor costs.
PMAA has worked with the Department of Transportation (DOT) since the Interpretative Guidance was released in June 2015, and began working with Congress once it was clear that DOT was not going to issue a rulemaking without a mandate to do so from Congress.
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On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee held its 15th hearing on "Past, Present, and Future of SNAP: Evaluating Effectiveness and Outcomes in Nutrition Education." Witnesses included education, health care, and nutrition experts who laid out methods that have resulted in healthier eating habits of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients while also highlighting challenges in access to stores that participate in SNAP.
The purpose of the hearing was to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition education programs (particularly SNAP-Ed) in promoting positive long-term health outcomes within the SNAP. "As we continue our review of SNAP, it is important we look into all aspects of the program, including SNAP-Ed, to ensure federal dollars are being used effectively. For many Americans, obesity and chronic disease are major health concerns. Programs like SNAP-Ed are working to combat these health risks by promoting healthy lifestyles and educating SNAP recipients on how to purchase and cook nutritious food options. Today, we discussed the importance of measuring outcomes and evaluating effectiveness of nutrition education programs to see where improvements can be made in promoting health and improving the diets among families across the country," said Chairman Conaway (R-TX).
The farm bill reauthorized the mandatory spending for SNAP through FY 2018, and reduced spending for the program, while the FY 2016 omnibus spending law provided $80.8 billion for SNAP, $393.9 million less than in fiscal 2015.
Congress has debated reducing benefits or modifying eligibility to reduce spending which would affect retailers. Because retailers could be adversely harmed by any program changes, PMAA will continue to be active in the SNAP policy process. The debate on a new farm bill (and SNAP) could begin as early as next year, and PMAA will begin preliminary discussions about the program soon.
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Click here to register: 2016 Fairway N' Friends Golf Retreat
Wednesday August 3 & 4
The Prairie Club
COME ENJOY THE SANDHILLS WITH A RELAXING 2 DAY GOLF RETREAT WITH YOUR FRIENDS AT NPCA
This is who is registered:
Andrew Fereday
Jerry Webb
Troy Lindsey
Tim Keigher
Brad Taylor
Brendy Lee
John Hepler
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This week, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing to consider bipartisan air quality legislation sponsored by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and co-sponsored by Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN). S. 2072 would require the establishment of Early Action Compact Programs for ozone control by allowing local communities to enter into voluntary cooperative agreements with the EPA. These agreements would utilize locally crafted solutions to improve air quality so that they can comply with federal standards.
In a statement, Hatch said, "This legislation will allow areas in or near non-compliance with federal air quality standards to have the option of taking early action to improve air quality at the local level, utilizing local solutions. Under this program, if enacted, our communities could actually improve air quality and altogether avoid a non-attainment designation and the negative economic job killing consequences that come with it."
Andrew Chesley, executive director of the San Joaquin Council of Governments; Kurt Karperos, deputy executive officer of the California Air Resources Board; Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mark Raymond, Commissioner and Chair of Uintah County, Utah; and Dr. Mary B. Rice MD, Vice-Chair of ATS Environmental Health Policy Committee American Thoracic Society testified during the hearing.
The hearing comes weeks after the House passed a bill that would delay implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's 2015 ozone standards. H.R. 4775, known as the "Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016", would allow states to implement the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards issued in early 2015 (set at 75ppb), while delaying implementation of EPA's 70ppb standard
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PMAA MEMBER SERVICES FEATURING: STAPLES ADVANTAGE
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One of the many benefits your Staples Advantage account has to offer is that we have the ability to price out your everyday items. We promise that we will do our best to provide the best price possible to beat the specials. Please remember that the more we get from you, the more buying power you have, which allows us to custom price more items. So, send us your complete shopping list today, including the Staples item number and quantities needed, and we will get started!
Technology: Staples Advantage has access to hundreds of different manufacturers that we can work with to get you the most aggressive price on hardware, software, tablets, and accessories. We have even partnered with HP internally and can get free demos if the opportunity qualifies.
Furniture: Business Interiors by Staples is the nation's largest contract furniture dealer. There are over 750 manufacturers that we have access to. What you see on your site is only a small sample of what we have can get. You can get a couple chairs or a desk to new layouts for a whole building.
Facilities & Safety: Cleaning and break room is often where we can save you the most when it comes to your everyday purchases. We do no cost dispensers for the bathroom, coffee, water, or around the office. This is also our fastest growing category with new SKUs being added daily. Most people don't think of Staples Advantage for granola bars and band aids, but we have them and many more.
Please visit our PMAA Member Services
webpage, email or call PMAA's
newly assigned Consortium Account Manager
James Wright at 888.224.3784 Extension 3807 with any questions and your shopping list.
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Nebraska Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association | (402) 474-6691 |
www.npcainc.com |
1320 Lincoln Mall, Suite 100B
Lincoln, NE 68508
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