Advocacy

The U.S. Senate has scheduled a vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (S.743/S.336) for Monday, May 6. The Marketplace Fairness Act would give states the right to require remote retailers that do $1 million or more in gross remote sales per year to collect and remit sales tax.

As the Senate moves closer to a vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (S.743/S.336), legislation that would give states the authority to require remote sellers to collect and remit sales tax, numerous editorials and newspaper columns published this week expressed support for the bill’s passage.

On April 21, the Marketplace Fairness Coalition, a diverse array of trade associations and businesses, including ABA, wrote to members of the U.S. Senate to dispute erroneous assertions made by eBay President and CEO John Donahoe about the Marketplace Fairness Act.

On Monday, April 22, the White House endorsed the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, which would give states the authority to require remote sellers to collect and remit sales tax in the state, so long as the seller does more than $1 million in remote gross sales annually. Later in the day, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to move the bill to the Senate floor for debate.

In an April 19 e-mail to bookstore members regarding the class action settlement over rapidly rising Visa and MasterCard swipe fees, ABA recommended that members opt out and object to the settlement.

Last week, hundreds of small business owners met with elected officials in Washington, D.C., to communicate firsthand the need to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act. Participants in the two-day fly-in included Sarah Pishko of Prince Books and ABA Board member Sarah Bagby of Watermark Books & Café.

The U.S. Senate may vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 as early as next week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to bring the bill directly to the floor for a vote without first referring it to the Senate Finance Committee, according to published reports.

A special section of this year’s Children’s Book Art Silent Auction at BEA will honor the late Maurice Sendak, the beloved author and illustrator of classic children’s titles and a passionate defender of free speech. A number of illustrators will be creating special artworks commemorating Sendak that will be auctioned off at the event.

As the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 continues to gain momentum in the U.S. Congress, three more states are considering enactment of sales tax fairness legislation that would level the playing field for Main Street retailers.

Two indie booksellers were among an array of small business owners who traveled to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 11, to meet with members of Congress to press for passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act.

While health insurance exchanges are not set to open until January 2014, enrollment for the exchanges begins October 1. Now is a good time for booksellers to be considering their new insurance options under the Affordable Care Act.

Tickets for the annual Children’s Book Art Silent Auction & Reception at BookExpo America are on sale now. In addition to remarkable art from new books, this year’s auction will feature pieces created in honor of Maurice Sendak, who mentored and inspired so many artists and fought vigorously against efforts to censor In the Night Kitchen.

The campaign for sales tax fairness gained tremendous momentum with two major victories in the last few weeks, but now, more than ever, it’s crucial to keep the pressure on federal legislators.

ABFFE and the ABC Children’s Group at ABA are seeking donations of original art for the 2013 Children’s Book Art Silent Auction and Reception at BEA.  This year’s event will be on Wednesday evening, May 29, and will be hosted by bestselling authors Jack Gantos and Lauren Myracle.

On Thursday, March 28, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled 4-1 in favor of the state’s sales tax fairness law, dismissing arguments made by Amazon.com and Overstock.com that the law was unconstitutional.