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MT: (RA) Petroleum marketers enjoyed reasonable success
in the Montana legislative session. A bill to address drive-
os from the pump was halfway through the process, and
a bill revising the privatized UST inspection program was
on its way to the Governor for signing.
NV: (PK) “the Governor has pledged that he will not allow
new taxes or fees, he is actively seeking new revenue sources
… the loss of the collection allowance remains our biggest
challenge. Just as we could not allow local governments to
impose their own tobacco law, we cannot aord to lose your
2% collection allowance … Not since our ght to retain di-
vorcement in1995 will your eorts be paramount to victory.”
NM: (RB) New Mexico’s 60-day session was just days
away from ending, and still no state budget on its way to
the Governor’s Oce. Predicted was a Special Session to
x the problem – not a surprise, since the Governor had
called a special session for the last six years.
UT: (JH) Motor Fuel Marketing Act Amendments PASSED!
There were seven important changes to the Act.
1. Cost = invoice + freight + tax;
2. Tied Sales remained legal;
3. Legal to sell motor fuel below cost;
4. Reners required to establish
a posted rack price and transfer
price for all aliate sales;
5. Unlawful for reners to sell
motor fuel through an aliate at a street
price lower than the rack price;
6. Attorney General held all price disclosures in strict
condence, and had authority to enforce the Act;
7. July 1, 2006 - Legislators could revisit the Act.
WA: (BB) The 6.8 earthquake in Washington State (on
Feb 28, 1991) did get everyone’s attention. Each marketer
needed to check out their petroleum facilities after an
earthquake, as recommended by the Washington State
Department of Ecology. Bill also noted that “No matter
what is done by [the WOMA Lobbyist] in Olympia, a bill
ultimately passes because the constituents of the legislators
let them know it is needed and why. Your calls to your
legislators are what make a bill important and bring it to
the top of the pile of bills that come before them.”
20 01 (Feb 27) President Bush delivered his rst
address to the 107th Congress.
(Fe b 28) The 6.8 Mw Nisqually earthquake shook the
Puget Sound region of western Washington with a
maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), causing
1 death, 400 injuries, and 1 to US$4 billion in losses.
20 01 (March) The US entered the early 2000s recession;
the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%.
(M ar 25) The 73rd Academy Awards, hosted by
Steve Martin, was held at Shrine Auditorium in LA.
Ridley Scott's Gladiator won ve awards out of 12
nominations. Steven Soderbergh was nominated twice
for Best Director, he won for Traffic.
20 01 (Apr 19) The Tony Awarded musical The Producers by
Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, starring Nathan Lane
and Matthew Broderick, opened on Broadway at the
St. James Theatre.
50 Years Ago
1976 [FEB Intermountain Oil
Marketer News (IOMN)] IOMA
President Shelley Trimble of
Trimble Oil Company in Nampa, Idaho; Vice President
Marvin Beck of Marvin Beck Dist Co from Deer Lodge,
Montana; NOJC (EMA) Director was Ken Kellerstrass of
Kellerstrass Bros Inc, in Ogden, Utah.
Hot topics were Divorcement and Divestiture of the
petroleum industry, Absentees of Congress, Coal-Oil-
Water Fuel and converting wood alcohol into high-octane
gasoline. Federal Energy Administration (FEA) attacked
three marketer problems: First - decontrol procedures in
the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; Second - modify
the entitlements program by reducing the entitlement
value for residual fuel oil; and Third - reduce or end the
small reners entitlements exemption. FEA planned
one-day sessions that subsequently went to two days
outside of Washington and three days in the capitol.
Hearing centers were Boston, New York, Pittsburgh,
Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, Casper,
Los Angeles, Seattle
and Anchorage in
addition to the
Washington capitol.
Legislative Updates
were given on
Decontrol, Import
Quotas and
Vapor Recovery.
Tidbits:
It’s certainly going to
be interesting twenty years from now when the class of ’76
has a reunion and nds out what everyone really looks like
without those beards.
A TAX CUT? Big deal. That’s
like a mugger letting you keep
your watch.
A lot of people are smarter
than they look – andthat’s reassuring.
Anyone who can aord a psychiatrist’s fees these days can’t
be a total failure.
The trouble with being optimistic is that people
think you’re illiterate.
Idaho: The house passed a 10% return of federal mineral
royalties to the county in which the resource was produced.
Wyoming: Any system for the valuation of improvements
to lands shall not provide for a greater than 5% annual
increase in the aggregate value of such improvements.
1976 (MAR – First Issue IOMN) Former 1974
President Ray T Frost dedicated the front page
to James A Murphy, IOMA’s Executive Director
and the success of the Association’s 24th Annual
Convention held
in February at the
Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas,
Nevada. The follow-
ing pages were photo
highlights of the conven-
tion. Thanks were given to the Trade Show
Exhibitors (40),
Major Suppliers,
Prize Contribu-
tors, Union Oil
Company of
California, Sahara
Hotel, Speakers,
Ocers, Direc-
tors, Sta and all
who attended.
Other Topics:
Divestiture
Loophole Let
Majors Retain
Many Existing
Outlets; and
Branded
Tires on front
wheels,
unbranded on
back wheels.
Tidbits: Walter Heller, former economic adviser to the
President, was asked once
to clarify a point during a
news conference. Replied
Heller, “I purposely left that
a little vague. I was
following the dictum of
economist Alec Cairncross.
His rule, when making a
forecast, is:
Quarter in History ... February, March and April continued
FEB 1976 IOMN Clips
MAR 1976 (1st
Issue) IOMN Clips
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