Advocacy

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is working with Alaska booksellers and other free speech organizations to oppose House Bill 298, which bans the sale of sexual material to minors, because two provisions of the bill remain unconstitutional.

Early this week, Amazon.com created a firestorm when it announced it had fired all of its Colorado-based online affiliates to protest a state sales tax law. The law, HB10-1193, which was signed by Gov. Bill Ritter on February 24, requires out-of-state retailers to either collect and remit sales tax for purchases made by Colorado residents or to inform their Colorado customers that they owe use tax on any purchase they have made.

This week in California the e-fairness provision in the legislative budget was temporarily tabled when lawmakers decided to split the proposed budget into several distinct bills. However, the development did not derail sales tax equity efforts in the state. In Illinois, the Senate Revenue Committee is poised to vote on sales tax fairness legislation, following a hearing that is scheduled to include testimony from an ABA bookstore member. In Virginia, a proposed e-fairness budget amendment is expected to come up for a vote sometime next week.

This week, the Virginia State Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass e-fairness legislation, while senators in Maryland and Illinois introduced bills that would bring about sales tax equity for thousands of retailers in their states. In addition, legislators in California appear to be moving closer to bringing about e-fairness in the state. And, in Colorado, members of the State House of Representatives passed a uniquely amended version of sales tax legislation that looks to focus on consumer use tax compliance, and it is expected that Gov. Bill Ritter will sign the bill into law.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) welcomed a ruling on Wednesday by the Ohio Supreme Court that booksellers and other owners of "generally accessible" websites cannot be prosecuted under an Ohio law that makes it a crime to electronically disseminate to minors material that is "obscene or harmful."

This week, the American Booksellers Association announced the addition of an op-ed template to the new E-Fairness Action Kit (E-FACT). Booksellers are urged to adapt the op-ed and to e-mail it to their local newspapers as a way of promoting the issue of e-fairness.

Once again, the American Booksellers Association is partnering with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and a wide range of other indie business groups on a national post-holiday survey of independent businesses.

As states ring in the new year faced with significant budget shortfalls, it is clear that e-fairness will be a major focus in 2010. With a tremendous opportunity to win a significant victory for sales tax equity around the country, the American Booksellers Association has launched a new E-Fairness Action Kit (E-FACT) that provides booksellers with crucial, state-specific tools to help them in their e-fairness outreach efforts.

Booksellers can finally exhale after a holiday season that, for the most part, was an improvement over a dismal 2008. The season saw sales dips at some indie booksellers, but these declines were outnumbered by modest, and sometimes robust, gains at others. Booksellers from across the country reported that the Local First movement was bearing fruit, and several reaped the benefits of creative, homegrown marketing campaigns.

Faced with budget shortfalls, state governments will be looking at different ways to increase sales and use tax revenue, according to the white paper "The Impact of the Loss of State Sales and Use Tax Revenue", which was recently released by CCH, a provider of tax, accounting, and audit information, software, and services.

On Saturday, November 21, the U.S. Senate voted 60 - 39, along party lines, to open debate on the Senate health care reform bill, "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said debate would begin on the bill on Monday, November 30.

Last week, the Obama Administration announced plans for a "White House to Main Street" tour that will take the president to cities and towns across the country over the next few months to speak with workers and share ideas for the nation's continued economic recovery. President Obama sees the tour as an opportunity to "take the temperature on what Americans are experiencing during these challenging economic times," according to a White House press release.