The Coalition for Equitable Regulation and Taxation (CERT), an organization that works closely with numismatic groups on legislative matters affecting the rare coin and precious metals markets, has contracted with long-time coin collector and former Louisiana Congressman Jimmy Hayes for government relations activities.
Hayes is an attorney and Chief Executive Officer of Washington Matters, LLC, a consulting and government relations firm in Washington, DC. He served for ten years in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1987 – 1997, and was actively involved in numismatics-related issues, such as the commemorative quarter statehood series. In his home state of Louisiana, Hayes served as Commissioner of Financial Institutions and as Commissioner of Securities.
"I am excited about this relationship between Hayes and CERT that is part of a new legislative initiative for the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA), the Gold & Silver Political Action Committee (G&SPAC) and other industry groups, such as the Professional Numismatists Guild and the American Numismatic Association," said Terry Hanlon, CERT President.
"We had excellent legislative representation over the past seven years from the Klein & Saks Group, but it was time for a change with the recent formation of the Gold & Silver PAC and the new Congress being sworn in next year. Klein & Saks laid the groundwork for some legislative achievements, and we expect Jimmy Hayes will carry them through to completion in the near future."
Some of the priorities identified by CERT, ICTA and G&SPAC include fighting new IRS Form 1099 reporting requirements that affect all businesses, large and small; achieving lower capital gains for coin and bullion investments; and stopping the importation of counterfeit U.S. coins from China, according to Hanlon.
ICTA Chairman Gary Adkins echoed Hanlon’s comments: "It’s a new era in Washington, and it’s time our industry became more proactive with regard to the issues that directly affect dealers and collectors. This past year was a wake-up call that our community needs to be more aggressive and not simply react to the whims of government."
Barry Stuppler, President of G&SPAC, stated: "I’m excited about Jimmy Hayes being our lobbyist. His history as a collector and congressman is a major plus representing our numismatic and bullion community."
For more information about CERT and ICTA, contact Eloise Ullman at (410) 626-7005 or eloise.ullman@ictaonline.org.
For more information about G&SPAC and how you can support it, contact Barry Stuppler at (818) 592-2800 or barry@stuppler.com.
