Mississippi sucks. And once I say Mississippi sucks, I don’t say that as a kind of “coastal elites” who’s by no means even visited the state. I say it as a North Carolina-born, Georgia-raised non-elite who grew up hating Mississippi and at all times will. Say what you’ll about Alabama, however at the least they’re first rate at soccer. Mississippi can’t even declare that. And now, the Mississippi state legislature has handed yet one more regulation that confirms my distaste for the worst state in America, this time blocking direct gross sales of electrical autos.
The Associated Press studies that the Mississippi state senate handed a invoice on Thursday that requires electrical automakers that need a brick-and-mortar retailer within the state to observe franchise dealership legal guidelines. The regulation now goes to Governor Tate Reeves’ desk for his signature. Currently, there isn’t any indication that he received’t signal it.
The invoice additionally reportedly prompted just a little Republican infighting as a result of they’re imagined to be the social gathering of small authorities, and the brand new invoice would intrude with the free market. There was additionally concern that the invoice would cease electrical automakers from bringing jobs to the state. Lawmakers who supported the invoice mentioned they should make issues honest for all automakers, and since they solely have one joke, they in fact needed to flip the topic of automotive rules into one thing transphobic.
“We’re saying if you choose to have a brick-and-mortar dealership, you have to follow the same laws that everyone else has to follow,” Republican senator Daniel Sparks mentioned. “Please don’t tell me Tesla’s car doesn’t identify as a car.”
Meanwhile, Republican senator Joey Fillingane disagreed, saying, “Maybe we just like being last all the time. Maybe it’s a badge of honor — we’re the last ones to change. If we’re not careful … we could deprive our citizens of opportunities they really ought not to be deprived of.”
To be honest to Mississippi, it’s not at all times final at every part. Yes, the proportion of state residents dwelling in poverty, in addition to its well being and training scores are the worst within the nation, however its economic system and high quality of life are solely forty ninth within the nation.
Graciously, the invoice would enable Tesla’s single retailer to stay open, but when, say, Rivian wished to open a dealership in Mississippi, it must discover a franchise supplier to really promote the vehicles, which is ridiculous. All that does is shield archaic franchise supplier legal guidelines that haven’t any place in trendy society. Obviously, the sellers are going to assist the invoice, however who cares? Dealers can go kick rocks.
Source: jalopnik.com