Advocacy

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has compiled five facts about Amazon’s true economic impact on communities across the country that Main Street businesses can use when talking to the media.

On the heels of press reports that Amazon has drastically lowered the price on many hardcover titles, on Monday, July 29, the Board of Directors of the American Booksellers Association and CEO Oren Teicher criticized President Obama’s decision to hold his jobs speech this week at an Amazon facility in Tennessee.

Maine and Missouri enact affiliate nexus laws; SIBA launches read-aloud program Parapalooza; Man Booker Prize longlist revealed; Romance Writers of America announces RITA, Golden Heart winners; Student spending on textbooks increases; ABFFE asks for transparency from Congress; Amazon loses battle to acquire .amazon Internet suffix

In a  report released last week, Dr. Arthur Laffer, a leading proponent of conservative economics, and co-author Donna Arduin, a former state budget director, argue that implementing sales tax fairness is necessary to address a fundamental inequity in the free market.

The Campaign for Reader Privacy is urging its supporters to immediately call members of Congress to request support for the Amash amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill, which will be voted on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week. The amendent would bar the NSA from obtaining the telephone records of people who are not suspected of engaging in illegal acts.

Initiatives announced this month by the Small Business Majority to help small businesses navigate and make the most of the Affordable Care Act include an online Health Coverage Guide and a series of webinars presented in partnership with the Small Business Administration.

At each of this year’s fall regional trade shows, the American Booksellers Association, with support from the Small Business Majority, will be offering a timely and informative educational session on the Affordable Health Care Act.

The Campaign for Reader Privacy — a joint initiative of ABA, ALA, AAP, and PEN American Center — called on Congress this week to pass legislation to restore privacy protections for bookstore and library records that were stripped by the Patriot Act as a first step toward reining in what the group calls “runaway surveillance programs.”

On Tuesday, July 2, the White House announced  a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act mandate that requires employers with more than 50 employees to provide healthcare coverage or pay a penalty. However, the requirement that all citizens acquire health insurance by January 1, 2014, has not changed.

If the U.S. House passes the Marketplace Fairness Act, it will trigger a lower state income tax bill for residents of Wisconsin and Ohio. The governors of the two states have signed budgets that would reduce income taxes if the House votes in favor of closing the sales tax  loophole on online purchases.

Utah celebrates Independents Week in a big way; Buthod named SIBA One Book at a Time organizer; Amazon’s tax affairs in U.K. deterring shoppers; LibraryReads launches this fall; Senators express concerns over Patriot Act surveillance programs; Authors lose class certification in lawsuit against Google; Hachette acquires Hyperion adult imprint; Ingram integrates Hachette Livre titles

On Monday, June 24, the Obama Administration announced it had kicked off its Health Insurance Marketplace (also known as exchanges) education effort with a new “consumer-focused” HealthCare.gov website, as well as a 24/7 consumer call center designed to assist Americans in preparing for enrollment in the health exchanges.

Given the intensity of opponents’ campaign against The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, ABA is urging its members to contact their Congressperson.

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ABA is urging bookstore members to reach out to their U.S. representatives in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R.684). To make outreach easier, ABA has created a template letter.