Action alert! Amazon.com may boot me--because of an Illinois internet sales tax

The Amazon Tax
The Amazon Tax It seems the State of Illinois is so desperate for revenue that it is instituting an Internet Sales Tax. Chicago, Jan. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internet Tax Bill (HB 3659) was passed in the Illinois Senate on January 5, by the House of Representatives on January 6 and brought to the Governor, who may sign it into a law as early as Friday, January 7. The tax Legislation relates to out-of-state merchants like Amazon.com and Overstock.com that do not have a physical presence in ...

Amazon threatens to dump Illinois associates over unconstitutional bill - Tenaska threatens to abandon project
* The so-called Amazon Tax also passed the House yesterday… Now, some large Internet Retailers such as Amazon.com and Overstock.com don’t collect Illinois sales taxes because they don’t have a physical Illinois presence. Shoppers technically still owe the taxes, but the vast majority don’t pay because they’re unaware. The Legislation would force Amazon to collect the taxes because they have certain kinds of contracts with Illinois companies. It was approved by a 88-29 vote. I

Gov. Pat Quinn (D, IL) about to destroy IL Amazon affliliates?
It’s certainly looking that way: the Democrat-run (Democrat-dominated) State Legislature has just passed a bill to tax online purchases (via Points and Figures, via Instapundit): the bill is just waiting for Governor Pat Quinn’s (D) signature, which is almost certainly inevitable.  In fact, the state of Illinois is going to raise taxes across the board - because that’s what Democrats do .  Business is good; raise taxes.  Business is bad; raise taxes.  Business is in a

Illinois about to institute massive tax hikes
There's no question that Illinois is in an economic basket case. It might be in the worst fiscal shape of any state in the union. So how does Illinois plan to dig itself out of the hole it's in? Taxes, taxes and more taxes: Springfield sources are confirming that Democratic legislative leaders and Gov. Pat Quinn have struck a deal to almost double the state Income Tax, boosting the individual levy from 3% now to 5.25% and hiking the corporate rate to 8.4% -- the highest of any state in the unio...

Illinois Nearing a Tax Deal?
The state of Illinois is allegedly close to a deal to nearly double its Income Tax, from 3% to 5.25%. In a separate action, it's also passed a law allowing it to collect sales tax from any online vendor (read: Amazon) with affiliates in the state. The latter law doesn't make much sense to me. It is a cause near and dear to the hearts of State Legislators everywhere, but so far the only effect has been to embroil states in endless litigation, while causing Amazon (and for all I know, other online...

House leaves town and the Taxpayers Federation posts the rates
* As you’re probably aware of by now, the House has left town without acting on the proposed tax hike… “The votes aren’t here in the House yet,” said Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, a House Budget expert. “There’s not 60 votes.” House Speaker Michael Madigan has not commented on the proposal yet, but was expected to meet with Gov. Pat Quinn behind closed doors today to fine-tune the plan. The Governor also has been asking individual lawmakers into his o

Texas is not having financial problems
Image via Wikipedia Kevin Williamson: n terms of harbingers of the apocalypse, it isn’t exactly dogs and cats living together or John Bolton exchanging facial-hair-grooming tips over sugary mint tea with ayatollahs, but, brace yourselves: Texas is facing a projected Budget Deficit. I know, I know: horrors, right? Paul Krugman is practically rubbing his hands together with Glee like some thin-mustached and top-hatted melodrama villain: Bwahahaha! If Texas goes down, conservative economic...

Internet sales tax could ease state deficit
Dear Gov. Jerry Brown : As you've been so busy, you may have missed some data points of relevance as you put your Budget together: U.S. Internet sales are growing by 10 percent annually. By the time you do, or do not run for re-election, in 2014, they will have grown to $250 billion, according to Forrester Research. Had online retail companies, like Amazon.com , paid Sales Tax in the four years from December 2005 to December 2009, according to the State Board of Equalization, California would...

Illinois House Passes Death Penalty Ban, Senate Next
Source: Reuters Illinois House passes death penalty ban, Senate next Thu Jan 6, 2011 11:18pm EST Chicago (Reuters) - The Illinois House on Thursday voted to ban the death penalty, moving the measure on to the Senate a decade after a Moratorium on executions was put into place by former Governor George Ryan. Thursday night's vote came after a first vote failed, according to Illinois State Representative Elaine Nekritz, a Democrat who voted in favor of the ban. The final vote was 60-54 in favor of...

REDSTATE: Gov. Pat Quinn (D, IL) about to destroy IL Amazon affliliates? I should note that the St
REDSTATE: Gov. Pat Quinn (D, IL) about to destroy IL Amazon affliliates? I should note that the State Rep. who wanted to do this in Tennessee — a long-time Incumbent — was handily defeated last November. But that’s why Tennessee is Tennessee . . . and Illinois is Illinois. ...

How the death penalty abolition bill passed on the second try
* As you know by now, the House passed a death penalty abolition bill on the second try yesterday. Democratic state Rep. Pat Verschoore voted against the bill the first time, then changed his vote after the bill’s sponsor appealed to him… “I’d been back and forth on this since they started talking about abolishing it,” Verschoore said. State Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Maywood, the proposal’s sponsor, asked him to reconsider his vote, he said. “She’s helped me o

Illinois businesses, come to Indiana; we won't tax you to death!
Dear Chicagoans and Illinois residents, how much longer are you going to stand for the insane taxes that Illinois imposes upon you for the privilege of living in the Land of Lincoln?  What don't these politicians understand?  Did they not hear the uproar of the last election?  People are fed up with Big Government.  Instead of asking us to pay more to fund your corrupt and inefficient practices, maybe you can downsize the bureaucracies that don't contribute at all to the econ...

Sen. Manchin takes aim at part of healthcare law
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has been under fire from Republicans to reveal where he stands on healthcare Repeal, announced Friday that he's co-sponsoring a bill to repeal one provision of the law.  Along with Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Manchin is co-sponsoring a bill to eliminate the so-called 1099 provision of the healthcare law, which imposes an additional tax filing requirement on small businesses for transactions over $600.  Manchin did not endorse a full repeal of the law.  "As sm

Illinois legislators thwart bill to encourage lawyers' lawsuit loans
Illinois legislators thwart bill to encourage lawyers' Lawsuit loans From the Illinois Civil Justice League, an e-mail alert.SPRINGFIELD - Legislation that would allow loans to litigants in lawsuits as cases proceed through court systems was overwhelmingly blocked Thursday by a coordinated effort by business organizations, including the Illinois Civil Justice League, Illinois Insurance Association, Illinois Chamber of Commerce and others. SB 3322, the "Non-recourse Civil Litigation Funding Act...

The NY Times Explains the Constitution
Posted by John at 6:04 PM It is fascinating to see the liberal response to House Republicans reading the Constitution in the House chamber. At the New York Times, reporter Kate Zernike offers an "annotated guide" to the Constitution that purports to explain the main Battlegrounds between, as the Times frames the dispute, the Tea Party and Progressives: The following is an annotated guide to the clauses most revered, and disputed, by advocates on either side of the political spectrum. The Times'...

Democrats push 75% income tax hike
SPRINGFIELD — — Gov. Pat Quinn and top Democratic lawmakers reached a tentative agreement Thursday on a major, post-election income-tax increase and a $1-a-pack Cigarette-tax hike to stabilize the state Budget and provide a cash infusion for schools. The plan, detailed by Senate President John Cullerton following closed-door meetings with the Governor and House Speaker Michael Madigan, still faces a review by rank-and-file members of the Democratic-led legislature in the waning da...

Question of the day
* Gov. Pat Quinn was pinned down by reporters last year on taxes and some folks still remember… The [Income Tax hike] proposal puts Quinn in an awkward position. It would boost the Tax Rate by 2.25 percentage points, but the Governor - while running for re-election - promised last year to Veto any increase above 1 percentage point. Last summer, a Quinn aide suggested taxes might have to be raised by 2 points. Quinn quickly disavowed the comments and said he opposed anything beyond his pr...

Ga. Congressmen support FairTax
Picking up where his predecessor left off, U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., introduced Legislation to replace the current tax system with the FairTax. “I have said since its inception that the FairTax is not a tax bill; it is a freedom bill,” Woodall said in a statement announcing the bill’s introduction and its 47 co-sponsors. “Our current tax system is a bloated, convoluted mess that gives government power over Americans’ pockets,”Woodall said. “With 47 M...

Open Letter to NY Governor Andrew Cuomo from Green Party's Howie Hawkins
Congratulations on your election. During our recent Gubernatorial contest, we emphasized different approaches as to how best restore the state's fiscal health and to reduce the onerous impact of local property taxes. But as you prepare to start your administration, it is critical that the long term needs of our state take priority over the political Rhetoric that dominates election campaigns. For most New Yorkers, especially the more than one million who are unemployed or underemployed, the lack...

The GST, hated by many, stands the test of time
The GST went into force on Jan. 1, 1991, reviled in its time and still not very popular (What tax is?). Yet, the GST proved to be a wise move by Brian Mulroney’s government. That the tax has stood the test of time underscores its utility. Last week, Mr. Mulroney told The Canadian Press: “Quite frankly, it’s interesting to me to sit back many years later, having had to endure the abuse and recriminations and the pounding, and to see that it’s turned out well for Canada. Th...

Illinois moves to tax online purchases, hits bloggers, small business
Internet Retailer today: Lawmakers in Illinois have voted for a 6.25% tax on online retail purchases. The levy, which still needs the Governor's approval, would apply to goods bought through affiliates of online Retailers that take in least $10,000 worth of annual sales in the state. Illinois Affiliate Tax Will Harm Small Businesses and Reduce Tax Revenue Tax Foundation here. Just got an email from Amazon:

Rhode Island, Maryland Inch Closer To Marriage Equality
Rhode Island, Maryland Inch Closer To Marriage Equality Two more states may soon join Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia in expanding marriage to gay and Lesbian residents. Yesterday, lawmakers in the Rhode Island House and Senate introduced a same-sex measure just days after newly-minted Governor Lincoln Chafee (I) called on the legislature to swiftly legalize same-sex marriage, so that Rhode Island could “catch up to her New England neigh...

URI hires first associate vice president to focus on diversity
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Kathryn A. Friedman, former Executive Director of diversity and equity at the University of Vermont, began work Tuesday at the University of Rhode Island in the new position of associate vice president for community, equity, and diversity. URI President David M. Dooley announced Thursday that she will report directly to him and supervise the Women’s Center; Multicultural Center; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender Center; the Bias Incident Response Team; and the Off...

Sandoval meets with mayors, Clark County schools chief over budget
CARSON CITY - Gov. Brian Sandoval huddled with the mayors of the five largest cities in Nevada on Friday over financial problems and they say they came away feeling optimistic. North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck said the Governor has pledged not to take their reserves or touch local Sales Tax revenue. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said he felt optimistic after the meeting but refused to discuss details. “We came away with a smile on our face,” Goodman said. Mayor Bob Cashell of Reno echoed G

Connecticut, Vermont Move Forward on Their Own Health Care Options
With talk of repealing Health Care in the air, I thought it would be a good time to look at a couple New England states going in the opposite direction: Vermont and Connecticut. Both of them are in the midst of designing or recommending alternatives to the private Health Care market, which could go all the way up to a single payer program. First, in Connecticut, as Jon Walker described this week, the Board of Directors of SustiNet has put together for the State Legislature a concept for a Basi...