Montana Senator to Fight Marketplace Fairness Act
- May 9, 2013 | Gail Cole
The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 was approved by the Senate on May 6 in a healthy 67 to 27 vote. But rather than leave the battle at the Senate doors, Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) has vowed to continue the fight. According to an article in the Great Falls Tribune, the senator has said he will "work with his colleagues in the House of Representatives to ensure the bill does not become law.”
Senator Baucus has repeatedly said that the Marketplace Fairness legislation is “bad for business and bad for jobs.” He was miffed that the bill skipped the normal vetting process in the Senate Finance Committee, which he chairs. Now, he says, “I’m going to keep fighting to make sure it doesn’t become law.”
There is strong bi-partisan support for the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013. It is backed by a majority of state governors and such entities as Amazon.com and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Yet it is not without opposition, and passage by the House is far from a sure thing. Some House Republicans “still view [MFA] as a tax increase on consumers or say it would overburden Internet businesses in their states.”
Even if it does make it to President Obama’s desk, it is unlikely to sail through its first years unchallenged. A recent article in Forbes, entitled “First Comes the Marketplace Fairness Act, Then the Lawyers,” notes that if MFA does make it through the House, it will have to “navigate the lawyers.”
That said, it never hurts to be prepared. How does your business manage sales tax?
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