• Home
• >
• Legislative

Legislative Affairs
& Political Action

• Capitol Day
• Top Legislative Issues
  
• Victories
  
• Government Links
• Grassroots Involvement
• Political Action
  
• SAFE Fund
  
• This Week In Lansing
• Contact Us

Restaurants may be the largest private-sector employer in the United States, but that's nothing to take for granted. The restaurant business is a large industry of small businesses operating on narrow profit margins. Each time an interest group or a legislator proposes a new mandate or a new tax, restaurants are hit hard. Restaurants need to be prepared to fight back -- which is why the SAFE (Save American Free Enterprise) Fund exists.

The Save American Free Enterprise (SAFE) Fund serves as a catalyst to mobilize, educate and execute the restaurant industry's political efforts at the state level in cooperation with the National Restaurant Association (NRA), state restaurant associations (SRA), multi-unit companies and allied partners.

Since inception in 1996, SAFE has contributed nearly $6 million to state partners in their efforts to fight anti-business legislation and initiatives. SAFE has led the effort to provide financial and professional resources directly to states where and when it is needed the most to fight anti-business legislation and initiatives on key issues including, wage, health care and menu labeling.

It is clear that issues important to the restaurant industry have migrated from the federal to the state level of government. As this political environment is shifting, we have learned that to be successful in defending our business interests we must mobilize, educate and execute our industry's political efforts at a level never seen before.

SAFE has accepted the challenge to lead this effort, creating "SAFE Mission 2008." A two-year strategic campaign aimed at providing leadership and financial support to improve the restaurant industry's political position through organization and education focused at the state level.

Working in partnership with state restaurant associations,multi-unit companies and allied partners, SAFE will focus on the following four objectives:

• Reforming the Initiative Process. SAFE will identify states where the ballot initiative process has been the focus of national organizations attempting to further their political agenda to the detriment of the business community. SAFE will help to mobilize and educate the business community by providing tactics and tools necessary to reform the process – protecting businesses from complex economic issues becoming simple “yes” or “no” items on statewide ballots.
• Issues Management. SAFE will serve as a catalyst for research, discussion and coalition building to drive alternative, workable solutions to employer mandated universal health care. In addition, SAFE will provide financial and professional resources as needed for key issues including menu labeling, trans fat, immigration and wage.
• Restaurant Industry Government Relations Recruitment & Training. SAFE will increase the awareness, involvement and education opportunities of multi-unit companies and state restaurant associations in state government affairs.
• Communications Strategy. SAFE will identify states and /or issues in need of proactive strategic media plans and will provide professional resources to promote industry attributes, disseminate operator stories and issue advocacy. SAFE will work with trade press to educate the industry regarding issues important at the state level through placement of regular educational and editorial columns.
  

The NRA State Government Relations team works closely with SAFE and state restaurant associations to ensure these issues and others important to the industry aren't regulated in your state house, by working to defeat them in other states throughout the country. SAFE believes for every dollar we spend in one state, the industry will save two dollars in another.

The restaurant industry is under attack in states throughout the country. SAFE relies solely on contributions from the restaurant industry. Donating to SAFE helps ensure that every fight has the leadership and financial resources to achieve success. SAFE can accept personal or corporate contributions. Contributions to the SAFE Fund are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. However, they may be deductible under other provisions of the tax code. Please check with your tax counsel.