(CHICAGO) May 16, 2014 – The California Automatic Vending Council (CAVC) hosted a legislative day at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on Tuesday and Wednesday. The CAVC educated lawmakers on the impact of certain pending legislation on the industry.
CAVC members met with Assembly Member Scott Wilk, Vice Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, along with Assembly Member Mike Gatto, Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday the group met with 21 legislators and legislative assistants. The CAVC contingent included:
- Pete Tullio, NAMA Chair
- Paul Tullio, Chair of NAMA’s Emerging Leaders Network
- Eric Dell, NAMA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs
- Sandy Larson, NAMA Sr. Director and Counsel
- Kate Bell and Jennifer Snyder, CAVC legislative consultants
- Larry Atnip, member of the NAMA Government Affairs Committee
- Robert Donohue, member of the NAMA Government Affairs Committee
- Janette Carter, CAVC President, as well as other CAVC members and board of directors
The group focused on speaking with legislators about SB 1000, which would require a warning label on all sugar sweetened beverages. If passed into law, this bill would require a health warning on sugar sweetened beverages and would require vending operators to place a warning label on their machines. CAVC members also oppose SB 1381 which would require labeling on products that contain genetically engineered ingredients. In addition to these topics, CAVC members took the opportunity to discuss with the legislators the inequity in the way that items sold through vending machines are taxed.
“The CAVC legislative day was a huge success,” said Janette Carter, president of CAVC. “The event was very well received by the legislators and their staff. The vending industry is facing some serious challenges in California. It was very productive to meet with these legislators and educate them on the impact the proposed bills would have on our businesses as well as businesses throughout the state.”
“Our two days in Sacramento were very productive for CAVC and our industry,” Donohue said. “We were able to express to our representatives the impact that many of the bills being considered will have on our businesses. We focused on the fact that our members are small businesses that have weathered the tough economic times that California has experienced and that further regulations on our industry would be detrimental to our members.”
NAMA’s Sandy Larson said the importance of legislative days cannot be underestimated. “The legislative day was an excellent opportunity for CAVC members to continue to educate and interact with legislators,” Larson said. “CAVC has been working diligently over the past few years to establish relationships with legislators in Sacramento. It is very important to have lawmakers who are familiar with our industry and realize the impact that this legislation has on our members,” she concluded.
Founded in 1936, NAMA is the association representing the $42 billion U.S. vending and refreshment services industry. With 1800 member companies – including many of the world’s most recognized brands – NAMA provides advocacy, education and research to its membership.
