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Readers’ guide to the latest car-sharing stories

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Cash is pouring into both sides of a car-sharing bill that’s being considered by the state House for override this week. The Senate already did. Enterprise has donated to the campaign funds of more than 30 state lawmakers, including a few who stood up recently to call for an override of the bill that would regulate online car-sharing startups. Companies that support the veto have also donated tens of thousands of dollars to lawmakers.

The bill would put more restrictions and regulation on companies like Turo, which operates similar to an Airbnb but for your car. Those companies say the bill stifles free enterprise. Turo also takes issue that it was never allowed a seat at the table—there were no public hearings on the issue. (In other states, the company has worked with legislators and rental car companies on the language of the bills.)

Supporters of the Illinois measure say it’s a matter of fairness, that people who rent out their cars should be taxed and regulated the way big rental-car companies are.

State Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) and state Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Peru) and other lawmakers joined Enterprise VP Jeff Wilder for a press conference recently in Springfield, where they urged fellow lawmakers to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto. Enterprise also donated to their campaigns. Most of those donations ranged from $1,000 to $1,500. But state Sen. John Cullerton’s campaign was given $10,000, and so was the state Democratic Party. Companies on the other side, including lobbyists for Turo, have also donated money—even to Cullerton. Those firms are Freeborn & Peters, $75,000; All-Circo: $36,500; Leinenweber, Baroni & Daffada Consulting, $61,821; and Thomson Weir, $33,250.

* OK, whenever you see stories like this (and I’m not trying to single this one out because these pieces are very common), you should ask yourself two questions: 1) How many other clients do these lobbying firms have? 2) How far back do these contributions go?

Freeborn & Peters lists 16 Statehouse clients, including several with veto session issues. So, the contributions are not focused on one issue. It’s contributed $77,650 to lots of campaigns and committees (including the Lake County Republican Federation) since March 27 of 2017. That’s way before this car-sharing thing popped up late last spring. It’s contributed about $38K since this past March. Not much.

All-Circo has close to 40 clients and the contributions noted above date back to March 30th of last year. Again, long before this stuff started. It’s contributed about $27K since March, but most of that money went to political committees unrelated to the state legislature.

Etc.

* As far as Enterprise goes, it has contributed $71,200 to 37 legislative campaign committees (counting the $6K to Sen. Kwame Raoul since he’ll be around for veto session) since March, for an average contribution of about $1,900.

Bottom line: I don’t think this thing has proved to be a contribution gusher.

* In other news…

The Senate overturned Rauner’s veto Nov. 14 and the House is supposed to follow suit this week.

Meanwhile, Republican state Rep. David Welter of Morris just floated a bill offering a variety of compromises, which could be a game-changer.

I reached out to a Turo spokesperson to see if he knew about Rep. Welter’s “compromise” bill and he sent me a summary. Click here to read it.

Proponents of the original bill are calling this proposal a last-minute attempt by Turo to derail the override vote in the House. The bill received 78 votes in May, so the Turo folks have their work cut out for them and, at the moment, the Welter bill doesn’t look much like a “game-changer.” It will only be viable if the company can pull 8 votes off the bill and force a compromise. We’ll see.

* Moving right along…

“The tax implications are very tough and would drive Turo out of the market,” said Republican state Rep. Allen Skillicorn, who rents out his Prius with the HyreCar app.

Because Skillicorn rents out his Prius and has a conflict of interest, he voted “Present” in May.

Wait… Skillicorn owns a Prius?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 12:29 pm

Comments

Skillicorn owns a Prius?

Yes. But being a free-market purist he declined the tax credits when he purchased it. Right?

Comment by Tom Threat Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 12:31 pm
Because even Skillicorn know climate change is bad news.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 12:37 pm
===Wait… Skillicorn owns a Prius?===

When Red Dawn happens, Skillicorn will begin the fight for our freedom… eco-friendly.

I’ll sleep easy.

To the Post,

The monies and campaign contributions are easy to pointvto without context, and without understanding timelines longer than one session or a veto session.

Sometimes the long game is interrupted by a short game vote.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 12:37 pm
–Wait… Skillicorn owns a Prius?–

Yeah, but he runs it in on a bootleg brew of leaded gasoline, liquefied coal and baby seal oil.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 12:41 pm
Skillicorn has a DL? Scary

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 12:50 pm
No, definitely not a contribution gusher - unlike the other Turner bill, Right to Know.

Comment by Rollcall Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 1:01 pm
Haha Wordslinger for the win.

Comment by Rollcall Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 1:02 pm
Car sharing could help the Dibs Crisis.

Comment by A Jack Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 1:40 pm
If your business model is such that you cannot possibly make a profit without paying any taxes at all it’s time for a better business model. Skillicorn supports free-loading and in fact takes part in it.

Comment by Flat Bed Ford Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 1:44 pm
I just read this article in Block Club Chicago about Turo and parking headaches in Uptown.

“But Oates’ fleet of mid-line vehicles he rents out on Turo caused major parking headaches in Uptown, where he once parked a portion of his 40 vehicles on a street just two blocks away from the Aragon Ballroom and the Riviera Theatre, and where many residents struggled to find parking.”

Here’s the URL:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/11/13/40-cars-from-one-car-sharing-owner-in-uptown-causes-parking-headaches-new-look-at-regulations/

Comment by CPS Dad Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 1:55 pm
It’s about time the Dundee Twp. Republicans ran someone against Skillicorn.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 1:58 pm
**It’s about time the Dundee Twp. Republicans ran someone against Skillicorn.**

Nancy Zettler - the Dem running for the Senate district that Allen has half of - won the Skillicorn half of the district. I suspect that the HDEMs will play there in 2020.

Comment by SaulGoodman Monday, Nov 26, 18 @ 3:05 pm