FTC supports Oberweis' bid to open car dealerships on Sundays

SPRINGFIELD–The Federal Trade Commission backed Republican U.S. Senate nominee Jim Oberweis’ efforts to give car dealers in Illinois the green light to sell their vehicles on Sundays.

Senate Bill 2629, proposed by the state senator from Sugar Grove, would repeal the 30-year ban on purchasing cars and trucks on Sundays in the state. Oberweis sought input from the FTC about his legislation and released the results Friday.

“The current law makes it more difficult for Illinois consumers to comparison shop and raises their search costs, which may lead to higher prices, less favorable terms of sale and lease, reduced output

of sales and service, and a market that is unresponsive to consumer preferences,” FTC Directors Andrew Gavil and Deborah Feinstein wrote Wednesday in an analysis of Oberweis’ legislation.

SB 2629 has been assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee.

“This analysis and recommendations from the FTC bolster the argument for repealing this ban,” Oberweis said in a prepared statement. The legislation “should not be bottled up in committee. It should be sent to the Senate for full public legislative debate. We need to rethink the weak argument that car dealers should be closed on Sundays to give their employees a day off and keep costs down.”