Theme park oversight bill defeated

Thanks to heavy lobbying from industry leaders Disney, Busch, and Universal, a Congressional panel has voted down a proposal to have the Consumer Product Safety Commission begin regulating theme parks in the United States. The proposal, which was to be attached to a larger consumer products bill, was shot down on Friday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) thanked the three companies for their part in the bill's defeat. "Also, I wanted to give a big "thank you" to the Washington representatives of Anheuser-Busch, Disney and Universal, as well as lobbyists from Williams & Jensen [a lobbying firm that represents IAAPA] who literally spent days on the Hill meeting with elected officials and their staff to educate them on this issue," said IAAPA's Stephanie Thienel. The bill still has life though, as U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass, has been pushing the proposal for nearly eight years, and his staff already has already suggested that other strategies besides the amendment to the consumer products bill will be explored.