Introduces bill to boost California brick and mortar retail floral stores and eliminate consumer deception
Sacramento - Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) introduced legislation today, proposed by a Fremont florist through Wieckowski’s annual “There Ought to be a Law” contest, to crack down on out of state floral companies who misrepresent their geographic locations to lure customers to their websites.
AB 1581 will require floral retailers who choose to use local phone numbers or a local name to include their address and notice of their place of business in their advertisements.
Dirk Lorenz, the owner of Fremont Flowers, proposed the bill to combat companies that falsely portray themselves as a local floral shop.
“California florists are indebted to Assemblymember Wieckowski for his efforts to protect small, Main Street businesses,” Lorenz said. “We know that for every dollar spent at a local business, 45 cents is reinvested locally. Assemblymember Wieckowski’s legislation will help in the effort to prevent deception of consumers in the marketplace, keeping these dollars where they were intended to be spent. He knows and values that the sales tax generated by local sales fund essential services in our community. I applaud his efforts on the part of the California brick and mortar retail florists.”
Twenty-eight states have passed similar bills, including Texas where Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill last year.
“This bill will provide consumers information about the location of these floral businesses so they can choose to spend their money locally and benefit their own community,” Wieckowski said.
The bill is also supported by the California State Floral Association.
“Allowing these deceptive practices to continue will hurt not only local floral retailers and their employees, but also consumers who mistakenly think they are contacting a local company,” said Jim Relles, of Relles Florist in Sacramento, past president of the California State Floral Association. “By requiring the address in advertisements, consumers will have the certainty that their dollars are being spent locally to support their own community.”
Wieckowski sought recommendations for his “There Ought to be a Law” contest late last year from residents throughout the 20th Assembly District.
CONTACT: Jeff Barbosa, 916-319-2020
