Via twitter:

billmon ‏@billmon1

America’s auto dealers: Vigorously undermining the free market system at every opportunity: http://bit.ly/1oywbkZ  Goddamn commies. 1:55 PM – 9 May 2014

It’s about Tesla Motors:

AlterNet / By Cliff Weathers

Missouri May Be the Next State to Ban Tesla Motors

Legislators in the “Show Me State” are trying to sneak through legislation banning the electric car company from selling directly to consumers.

….Missouri is the latest state to try to slip in anti-Tesla legislation without anyone noticing. The “Show Me State” legislature is trying to obscure their actions by slipping through legislation as it current session comes to an end this Spring.

Just this week, the state’s auto dealers proposed new language in an existing bill that would force consumers to buy new cars and trucks only through franchised dealerships. The bill, HB 1124, has been in bouncing around since late last year, and was passed by the state’s House in mid April without containing any anti-Tesla language. But this week, the bill reemerged with the new language aimed to stop Tesla from selling cars. This Senate version passed with no public consultation whatsoever, and will likely move to the House floor for a final vote, essentially without debate.

This change to the bill is not just a minor amendment, it has morphed into a bill that is completely unrelated to the original one, which related only to sales for off-road and all-terrain vehicles and barred the manufacturers from competing against their franchisees (for example, Ford Motor Company cannot compete against Ford dealerships). Tesla, which doesn’t have franchisees or a dealership network, would not have been effected by the original bill.

The amendment also attempts to redefine the word “franchisor” to mean “manufacturer”, a slick change of legal wording of which legislators may not even be aware. This goes beyond automotive dealers trying to protect their existing monopolies – this legislation seeks to create a new car-sales monopoly….

Sigh.

From Representative Chris Kelly (D):

Chris Kelly ‏@repckelly

The Tesla issue in #moleg will be about abusive market regulation & deceptive legislative procedure. Also campaign dollars vs principle. 1:58 PM – 9 May 2014

And here it is (a version):

SENATE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 1124

AN ACT

To repeal sections 301.010, 301.227, 301.700, 302.020, 407.815, 407.826, and 578.120, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof eight new sections relating to motor vehicles, with existing penalty provisions.

[….]

2. A franchisor shall not sell new motor vehicles directly to any retail consumer except through a franchisee for the line-make that includes the new motor vehicle unless such consumer is an employee of the franchisor, or is a not-for-profit organization or an agency of the federal, state or local governments. This subsection shall not preclude a franchisor from providing information to consumers for the purpose of marketing or facilitating the sale of a new motor vehicle or from establishing programs to sell or offer to sell new motor vehicles through participating franchisees.

[….]

Communism!

“…abusive market regulation & deceptive legislative procedure. Also campaign dollars vs principle.”

Welcome to Missouri.