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Comment by daniel_solano | Hacker News Reader

This is the same state where car dealerships are only allowed to be open one day of either Saturday or Sunday. There was recently a proposal to get rid of this law, but it failed. Who was one of the biggest proponents of the status quo? The Texas Automobile Dealers Association.

It's yet another example of where government is used to protect special interests.

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> only allowed to be open one day of either Saturday or Sunday.

Hmm, jewish-friendly blue law? I understand (and disagree with) "closed on sunday" laws, but how did that sort of law come into being?

Because auto-sellers don't want to work both days of the weekend.

Let's say I run a liquor store. I get together and collude with all my liquor store running buddies and pass a law that says liquor stores can't be open after 5pm.

Ta-da, we all get to go home at 5pm. We don't lose any sales to people open after 5pm, because no one is allowed to do that.

And if someone wants alcohol after 5pm, fuck 'em.

Oh yeah, I get that much. Wondering how they got the "either day, but not both" part. Usually those laws are just "no sundays".

No, actually you lose some impulse purchases, in the liquor store case at least. I admit that cars must suffer less from the effect.

Texas had a bunch of restrictive laws about Sunday called blue laws, the last one left is for liquor sales.

Used to be you couldn't sell cars at all on Sunday, but they added this "either or" clause a few years ago for some reason. Dealers claim having to be open 7 days a week would drive up costs...go figure.

http://www.texastribune.org/2011/03/11/why-cant-i-buy-a-car-...

I was there yesterday when Elon supported the new bill to the committee. Each and every single member seemed infatuated. They're personally setting up a meeting with Elon & The Texas Automobile Dealers Association to talk things through.

From yesterday's experience, I'd be surprised if Tesla didn't get its way.

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