From: Dirk.Bloemendaal@alticor.com
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 10:49 AM
To: Kerkman, Samantha
Subject: [Possible Spam] Traveling Sales Crew Bill (AB 14): Amway Support for Clarifying FloorAmendment

Importance: Low

To Members of the House:

On behalf of our thousands of Wisconsin Amway distributors, I wish to express our support for a floor amendment to be offered to Assembly Bill 14, a bill proposing to set up a regulatory structure for traveling sales crews.  While Amway distributors aren't engaged in traveling sales crew activities, some of the bill's language is so broad that it could arguably impact legitimate Wisconsin direct sellers.  This floor amendment would change the definition of a traveling sales crew from "2 or more persons traveling together" to "3 or more persons traveling together."  

This small but important change would do two things: it would allow the state to aggressively regulate traveling sales crews - a category we agree must be fully and vigorously regulated - while protecting legitimate Wisconsin direct sellers from overbroad regulation.   These small direct sellers run their own businesses, typically in their own communities, to supplement their family incomes.  It is important that they be clearly diffentiated from traveling sales crews.  

The problem raised by utilizing the "two" number is clear - if a direct seller couple traveled to an overnight meeting together with their new upline (the person who had introduced them into the business) - they would arguably fall beneath the definition of "traveling sales crew."  This can be easily fixed, without hurting the intent and coverage of the bill, by simply raising this number to three.  This will not impact regulation of traveling sales crews, which typically use much larger numbers of people traveling together, usually in large multi-passenger vans holding up to 15 people.

This amendment would protect legitimate direct sellers, while still enabling the state to fully regulate traveling sales crews.  Therefore, Amway supports this simple yet important floor amendment to AB 14.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Dirk Bloemendaal, Managing Counsel
Amway Corporate Government Affairs