February 21, 2008

 

 

 

Traveling Sales Bill Gets Assembly Hearing – Finally

Need Greater than Ever to Know Who Is Knocking On Peoples Door

 

Madison – We can GPS track known criminals in Wisconsin and we can limit the jobs they have, but unfortunately we cannot even find out if criminals are going door to door in our neighborhoods according to Senator Jon Erpenbach after an Assembly hearing Wednesday. Senate Bill 80, the traveling sales crew regulation bill, received a public hearing in the Assembly Small Business Committee yesterday.

SB 80 is also know as Malinda’s Law after Malinda Turvey who died in the tragic Janesville Interstate van crash that took the lives of seven youngsters who worked a traveling sales crew in 1999.

“This bill is so simple to me. Kids who are lured into traveling sales crews should be able to call their parents on the road and should have the basic worker rights we give everyone in Wisconsin, including our paper boys. In addition, this bill lets the State track who is on a crew. That means law enforcement can find out if murderers, rapists, or other fugitives are going door to door in our communities. To me it is simple but the bill has sat for a while and I am worried about its passage before the end of session,” said Senator Erpenbach, author of the bill.

Opposition to SB 80 includes Southwestern Company who recruits college kids to go door to door in the summer selling books and the Direct Marketers of America who have flown in lobbyists from Washington DC to oppose the proposal on principle since they have said none of their members would be affected by the law if they truly operate as an independent contractor.

“I became aware of the need for this bill because seven young adults and members of a crew died and five more were seriously injured in my district on the Interstate in 1999 when the driver with an outstanding warrant caused the crash. Phil Ellenbecker, whose daughter Malinda died that day, has been an inspiration to me as a Legislator. He is an advocate that will not give up on this issue and because of his passion, I will never give up either,” Erpenbach said.

Recent violence that was committed by members of traveling sales crews in Wisconsin includes the beating and rape of a woman in Menomonie, the assault and robbery of an elderly couple from Grafton, and the threatening of the lives of an Allouez Police Officers family by a member of a sales crew he had ticketed.

Representative Moulton has not said if an executive session will be held on the bill in his committee. Members of the Assembly Committee on Small Business include Representative Moulton, Representative Van Roy, Representative John Townsend, Representative John Murtha, Representative Joan Ballweg, Representative Jason Fields, Representative Steve Hilgenberg, Representative Gary Hebl, Representative James Soletski.