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February 15, 2010
Staying on Top of the Hill, Week #4
Amazon Loophole Legislation, SB660
IMPORTANT—TAKE ACTION NOW! CALL YOUR SENATOR…
The VRF lobbyists have worked hard to secure the needed 21 votes to move the bill through the Senate and on to the House. Your grassroots efforts are appreciated and needed to get the bill through the Senate.
Thanks to all who weathered the snow storm and attended the Senate Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday and to all who made phone calls or e-mailed members of the Senate Finance Committee. Your grassroots efforts worked, the bill passed the Committee 14 to 1. The one no vote was cast by Senator Wampler from Bristol.
The next hurdle will be to get the bill through the Senate. The opposition, the Northern Virginia Technology Council and AOL, are pushing the message that the bill will cause loss of jobs for affiliates. Affiliates are those who have banner ads on their sites that direct consumers to sites such as Amazon.com. The VRF contends that no job loss will occur if those Virginia based internet retailers will collect the sales tax when they have a retail transaction with Virginia consumers. (NOTE, this bill does nothing to impact internet sales made by Virginia consumers to internet retailers located outside of Virginia, since they have no physical presence in Virginia.)
This bill is all about tax law compliance and fairness, thus leveling the playing field between the Virginia internet retailer and the Virginia brick and mortar stores.
The bill will be on its second reading Monday, February 15th. We expect that there will be attempts to amend the bill or to refer the bill back to the Senate Courts Committee. The opposition is trying all tactics to prevent a Senate vote. If the bill is not referred back to committee, it will be on the third reading on Tuesday, February 16. The third reading is where the final Senate vote is taken.
If you have not called or emailed members of the Senate please do so by Monday afternoon. Click here for Senator contact information.
Weights and Measures
The VRF supports funding the Weights & Measures Program through the General Fund.
HB261that would have placed a $17.50 fee on every measuring device was amended to remove the fee. The VRF lobbyists attended a number of meetings with the Secretary of Agriculture and other interested parties to attempt to reach a solution that funded the Weights and Measures program without adding a fee to all measuring devices (scales and meters). Thanks to a solution offered by the Virginia Petroleum Grocery and Convenience Store Association that would add one tenth of one percent to the fuel rack tax, a fee will not be needed.
Dealer Discount
Funding for the Dealer Discount has not been but back into the budget by either the Senate or the House. The efforts this week will be to amend or have the legislation that would remove the Dealer Discount from the State Code defeated.
Click here for all legislation that has passed its house of origin or has not been acted on
Click here for all legislation that has failed
Click here for all legislation that has been carried over
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The Retail Advocate is published the second week each month and whenever important issues affecting RMA members arise. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
Contact:
George Peyton
(804) 662-5500
Fax: (804) 662-5507
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