Members of OHI, formerly known as the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), concluded a significant advocacy visit to Washington, D.C. The delegation, comprising OHI leadership and campground owners, engaged with more than 30 key members of Congress, addressing critical issues affecting RV parks and campgrounds.
The primary focus of the meetings with congressional offices was on legislation designed to alleviate the tax and fee burdens on small businesses. Key bills discussed included the Credit Card Competition Act, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, and the Death Tax Repeal Act.
Additionally, OHI is collaborating with North Carolina Senator Ted Budd to draft legislation that provides a 90-day cure period for small businesses to address website-based Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues before a lawsuit can be filed.
Mike Gurevich, owner of Cherry Hill Park Campground in College Park, Maryland, expressed his appreciation for OHI’s strategic planning. “OHI did a great job of strategically putting us in front of the Senate offices most important to these pieces of legislation, giving us the freedom to tell our stories as campground owners. The experience was so rewarding for me and valuable to my business and our entire industry,” he said.
Significant discussions were held with Senators Budd, Daines (Montana), and Dick Durbin (Illinois). Sen. Budd’s office is instrumental in drafting the ADA compliance legislation, while Sen. Daines sponsors the Main Street Tax Certainty Act. Additionally, Sen. Durbin is a key advocate for the Credit Card Competition Act.
OHI also engaged with other associations and organizations in Washington that align with its goals. It met with the Merchants Payments Coalition (MPC), a group of over 20 associations in the retail, restaurant, and hotel industries united in supporting the Credit Card Competition Act. OHI’s collaboration with MPC aims to amplify its voice on this issue.
According to the press release, the Credit Card Competition Act seeks to dismantle the control Visa and Mastercard have over credit card swipe fees. For RV parks and campgrounds, these fees can amount to thousands of dollars monthly. By increasing competition, the Act aims to lower these fees, providing financial relief to small businesses.
The Main Street Tax Certainty Act is another legislative priority for OHI. This act would permanently extend the 20% tax deduction for qualified business income, which expires after December 31, 2025. This deduction has been vital to the financial success of RV parks and campgrounds nationwide.
OHI also advocates for the Death Tax Repeal Act, which aims to abolish estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Repealing these taxes would provide stability and peace of mind to small, family-owned RV parks and campgrounds.
OHI’s representatives in Washington were David Basler, chief strategy officer; Mike Gurevich, owner of Cherry Hill Park; Ali Rasmussen, board member and CEO of Spacious Skies Campgrounds; and Matt Rose, executive director of the Indiana Campground Owners Association.
During their visit, OHI representatives met with a wide array of senators. Among those they met were Sen. Baldwin from Wisconsin, Sen. Booker from New Jersey, Sen. Braun from Indiana, Sen. Britt from Alabama, Sen. Casey from Pennsylvania, and Sen. Cassidy from Tennessee. Additionally, OHI met with Sen. Collins from Maine, Sen. Cornyn from Texas, Sen. Cortez Masto from Nevada, and Sen. Ernst from Iowa.
Further engagements included Sens. Gillibrand from New York, Graham from South Carolina, Grassley from Iowa, and Johnson from Wisconsin. The OHI delegation also spoke with Sens. Kaine from Virginia, Kelly from Arizona, King from Maine, and Lujan from New Mexico.
Other senators were Sen. Marshall from Kansas, Sen. Markey from Massachusetts, Sen. Mullin from Oklahoma, Sen. Ricketts from Nebraska, and Sen. Scott from Florida. They also talked with Sen. Shaheen from New Hampshire, Sen. Tillis from North Carolina, Sen. Van Hollen from Maryland, Sen. Warnock from Georgia, Sen. Warren from Massachusetts, Sen. Wicker from Mississippi, and Sen. Young from Indiana.
In addition to their meetings, OHI representatives participated in RVs Move America Week, an annual advocacy event hosted by the RV Industry Association.
To learn more about OHI, visit ohi.org.
Featured image by OHI
