Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
17th April 2024 Issue no. 701
Your industry news - first
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CAWA and AAIA have reported a victory for consumers and the automotive aftermarket alike
This was following the veto by California Gov. Jerry Brown of SB 750, reports Aftermarket News.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Ed Hernandez, and sponsored by BMW, sought to exempt automakers from providing electronic key code information to locksmiths, requiring motorists to contact the automaker to get a replacement key for their vehicle.
CAWA and AAIA, working in collaboration with industry coalition partners including AAA, CARE, ASCCA, CalABC, report that its advocates were successful in communicating concerns about motorists being inconvenienced and often stranded in dangerous situations because of the inability to obtain a replacement key from a locksmith due to automakers' refusal to provide this information. This helped convince the governor to veto SB 750, the associations say.
But the real success was in the grassroots participation and involvement by members of these organizations who wrote letters, sent faxes and email and made phone calls urging a veto of the bill, said Rodney Pierini, CAWA president and CEO.
"This is a tremendous legislative victory for the aftermarket with an unbelievable final push to urge the governor to veto this anti-consumer, anti-aftermarket bill," said Pierini. "The industry rallied with letters, faxes and emails to the governor's office. This grassroots lobbying effort, along with our professional lobbying effort is what made the difference for victory in this long drawn-out battle."
"While the veto of SB 750 is a victory for the independent repair industry and for locksmiths, it is most of all a victory for the state's consumers who will have convenient access to the key codes for their vehicles just as the state legislature had mandated in 2006," added Aaron Lowe, AAIA vice president of government affairs.
3rd October 2012