Windshield Replacement Auto glass legislation pits two former House Speakers against each other
Rob Houglum Media Press Team Sunday, April 01, 2012
Auto glass legislation pits 2 previous House Speakers against one another
Two former House Speakers turned lobbyists are facing off over a bill regulating auto glass, legislation which has escaped extensive attention amid controversial discussions on the death sentence, spirits rules and teacher tenure.
The bill creating the Speaker versus. Speaker clash is H.B. 5231. It might require insurance corporations to provide a listing of auto glass shops instead of referring a customer to one precise shop.
Under current law, insurers are required to ask purchasers if they've a preferred glass shop and, if the customer doesn't , can suggest one.
This is a quarrelsome issue because Safelite Solutions, a part of auto glass company Safelite, has contracts to administer auto glass claims for insurers. Therefore , when clients of client insurance corporations call to report a damaged windscreen, Safelite Solutions takes the call.
If a buyer has no preferred auto glass dealer, Safelite Solutions can refer purchasers to Safelite.
Richard Balducci, vice president of Doyle, D'Amour & Balducci, represents Safelite and opposes the bill. A longtime representative of Newington in the lawmaking assembly who now lives in Deep River, Balducci served as Speaker twenty years gone.
James Amann represents the companies that support the bill, including Pay Less Auto Glass, The Whalley Glass Company, Plymouth Auto Glass, Auto Tumbler of New England Hamden and Nationwide Glass & Mirror, according to state ethics filings.
Pay Less Auto Glass was one of Amann's first clients, according to the Connecticut Mirror.
James Amann, who represented Milford, served as Speaker of the House from 2005 to 2008, immediately preceding current Speaker Chris Donovan, D-Meriden.
Amann formed his lobbying firm, Global Govt Systems, after a $120,000 gig advising Donovan slid through. He didn't make a response to an email seeking comment.
Balducci said "when you disrobe the bill" the object is to get at Safelite, his customer, because "they're the big guy."
"What they would like us to do is kind of to advertise for them," he said. "They need us to present a list. Our fellows would then become liable."
"We are endeavoring to continue our business as everybody can continue theirs," he announced.
Balducci said both the state Insurance Department and insurance firms in Connecticut oppose the bill. "There's no complaint from consumers on this," he claimed.
"We assist in saving shoppers money by shortcutting the process," Balducci asserted.
Balducci asserted customers have the chance to go to any shop if they've a preference, but if Safelite Solutions provides a list, it feels like an endorsement.
"We become responsible for making this recommendation," he revealed.
Balducci said he giggled thinking about the bill as a competition between him and Amann or "Jimmy" as Balducci called him.
"He's a lobbyist. I am a lobbyist," Balducci expounded. "We're just like anyone else up there. No large difference."
Tags: Windshield Replacement, Auto Glass Repair, Zip Glass Network, Windshield Repair, Auto Glass, Glass Repair Service.
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