WASHINGTON, DC—The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today praised Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for signing into law a bill that will exempt aircraft parts and labor used in maintenance from state and local sales taxes. The bill passed the state Assembly in March and the state Senate in February with strong bipartisan support.

GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce, who attended the signing ceremony, said, “GAMA appreciates the tremendous support and hard work of Senator Mike Ellis and Representative Jim Steineke in pushing this important bill through the Wisconsin legislature. We also want to recognize other authors, especially Senator Frank Lasee and Representatives Dean Kaufert, Dave Murphy, Christine Sinicki, Gordon Hintz, and Peter Barca. Removing this harmful and unnecessary tax burden will allow Wisconsin-based maintenance and repair facilities, as well as fixed-base operators, to operate in a fair and competitive environment with facilities in nearby states that do not have this tax. This law will not only help aviation manufacturers to keep highly skilled jobs in Wisconsin but will make the skies safer by allowing local businesses to provide needed repairs.”

Governor Walker saw the importance of the general aviation manufacturing industry firsthand when he spoke at GAMA’s GA Jobs Rally at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation’s facility in Appleton, Wisconsin, on May 30, 2013. “The economic impact created by general aviation is strong,” he told the crowd of about 400 people, “and it plays such an important role in providing the transportation needs of individuals and businesses across the globe.”