Should You Be Able To Buy A Car On Sunday in Illinois?

Dave Dahl -- Illinois Radio Network

There was a movie called “Never on Sunday,” about a profession even older than selling cars.  But resting on the Seventh Day is also just fine with the car dealers, who are fighting an effort in Springfield to allow them to open up on Sundays.

“We've been enjoying this law for 32 years,” says Joe McMahon, lobbyist for the Illinois Automobile Dealers Association.  “The senator (who is sponsoring the bill) thought he'd be a hero of our industry. That's not how we feel.”

State Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) says the impetus came from citizens questioning him as to why it's against the law for auto dealers to work on Sunday.  He sounded surprised to find out it's the dealers themselves choosing the status quo, but, nevertheless, he says it should be up to a business owner, not the government, whether to say “Never on Sunday.”

Senators in committee heard testimony Monday but did not vote.

SB 2629 is in the Senate Transportation Committee.