Coalition helps kill anti-retread bill

May 6, 2010

A controversial bill that would have prohibited the use of retreads on state-owned vehicles in Georgia has been defeated.

After the legislation, House Bill 981, initially passed in the Georgia House of Representatives, the Tire Industry Association (TIA) and the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau rallied retreaders in the state, and "found a core group of volunters who shepherded" an amendment to the bill under the guidance of Sen. Jim Whitehead, also of Jim Whitehead Tire Service Inc. The Rubber Manufacturers Association also played an instrumental role in the process.

"This was truly a team effort," says Paul Fiore, TIA's director of government and business relations.

"We all viewed (the bill) as a slippery slope, firmly believing that even the slightest negative characterization of retreaded tires under any circumstances would certainly give way to even more restrictive legislation."

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