Unfair Sales Act Enforcers Stay In Budget
Score one for “mom and pop.”
Rep. Scott Jensen authored a motion to eliminate two positions from DATCP. According to the Fiscal Bureau, the jobs perform educational and investigative duties related to the Unfair Sales Act.
The motion failed 13-3.
The Unfair Sales Act prohibits retailers from selling gasoline at less than the cost to drive competitors out of business.
Jensen said the two are known as the “price police.” “Their job is to go around and make sure people don't get bargains.” In the last four years, he said, the “two bureaucrats” have referred only five cases to district attorneys.
Cutting the jobs would have removed $311,800 from the budget over the biennium.
Rep. Mark Pocan said Jensen has been consistent on the issue, and persistent in his attempts to “remove the teeth” from this law. He said Jensen's motion would spell doom for neighborhood, “mom and pop” stores who have a hard enough time competing with the Wal-Marts of the world.
Rep. David Ward said the low number of referrals show the DATCP employees are doing their job in educating store owners on the law.
