PUBLIC HEARING
SGT. JOHN D. CONGER
SENATE BILL: 80
Regulating Traveling Sales
Crews in the State of
Good Morning.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about this
proposed legislation. My interest in it
dates back to March of 1999. At that
time I was a patrol officer, working my part-time job for
While running radar along
I-90, I observed a van traveling at 81mph in the 65 zone. While attempting to stop the vehicle, I was
witness to it rolling and careening along the interstate, ejecting all but one
of its passengers. Seven young people
died in that accident, and several others were maimed for life.
The cause of the accident
was the driver, who was suspended, attempted to switch seats with a passenger
who apparently had a valid driver’s license.
The van was carrying members
of a traveling sales crew canvassing the area to sell magazines in our
communities.
Since that time I have
remained in contact with Phil Ellenbecker, the father of one of the
victims. I’m sure you are familiar with
Mr. Ellenbecker, as he has been an active supporter of this type of legislation
for many years.
Mr. Ellenbecker lost his
daughter in that accident. He could have
simply moved on. Instead he has chosen
to channel his anger and sadness into this life-saving cause.
We in the State of
This is an industry that
preys on young, vulnerable and naïve youth.
They dangle the prize of easy money and exotic travel to suck people
into their hideous business. These young
people quickly find out that their dreams of easy cash and exotic travel amount
to nothing more than poorly paid slave-labor.
They are cut off from ties to their families and communities. If they are not performing well as
salespeople, or simply want to return home, they are left behind, frequently
hundreds, if not thousands of miles from home.
Isn’t it sad that this
industry needs governmental regulation to simply state that they should return
their youthful employees home, and not to abandon them? To me, that is the definition of an industry
screaming to be regulated.
I recently heard a story of
a sales crew member that had been stopped by police. This person actually “begged” to be arrested,
so he could make arrangements to go home.
It is not often in my line of work that I have people begging me to
arrest them.
That should speak volumes as
to what type of environment he found himself trapped in.
The victims of this industry
range from their employees to innocent victims in their homes in our
communities.
If you visit Mr.
Ellenbecker’s site, you will see the seemingly endless documentation of victimization
in direct relation to traveling sales crews.
The crimes range from simple theft, to battery, to sexual assault and to
murder. That is not to mention the
horrific traffic accidents claiming lives, the most deadly of which I was
witness to.
I have been doing my part in
the City of
It is time that the
legislature in
Thank You.