Advocacy

New York Times editorial favors sales tax fairness; free bookseller subscription to ForeWord Reviews; European Union to approve Penguin, Random House merger; France budgets for bookstore assistance

ABFFE will be receiving an initial gift of $8,000 in special royalties from sales of My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop, thanks to Black Dog & Leventhal and Workman Publishing.

On March 15, ABA joined with the Small Business Majority and other groups in urging the Department of Health and Human Services to reject a rule that would delay critical requirements for small business health insurance exchanges, which are set to open on January 1, 2014, as part of the Affordable Care Act.

On Tuesday, March 19, in advance of the Senate’s landslide vote in favor of sales tax fairness, ABA joined with Jewelers of America to meet with key U.S. senators and representatives in Washington, D.C., in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act (S.336/H.R.684).

On Friday, March 22, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved, by a vote of 75-24, a budget resolution amendment in support of sales tax fairness.

The Annual Children’s Book Art Auction and Reception at BEA to benefit ABFFE will be hosted by Newbery Medal-winner Jack Gantos and Lauren Myracle, whose books top the list of the country’s most challenged titles. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

The Affordable Care Act and how it will affect indie bookstores will be the focus of a free healthcare reform webinar hosted by the Small Business Majority and ABA on next Tuesday, March 26, at 2:30 p.m. EDT.  Registration for the webinar is required.

The National Coalition Against Censorship, on behalf of the Kids’ Right to Read Project, has come out in strong opposition to the Chicago Public School system’s decision to remove the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi from certain district classrooms.

ABFFE has hired two consultants to manage its major fundraising projects — the auction of original children’s book art and an affiliate program for sideline producers who contribute to ABFFE a portion of their sales to independent bookstores.

ABA is encouraging members to hold off making any decision on filing the swipe fee settlement notice in the federal antitrust lawsuit over rapidly rising Visa and MasterCard credit card swipe fees until the association issues a recommendation.

ABA is encouraging booksellers to ask their federal lawmakers to support the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, legislation that would give states the authority to require remote retailers to collect and remit sales tax on purchases made by customers in their state.

Booksellers looking to find out more about how the Affordable Care Act will affect their businesses are encouraged to sign up for a free healthcare reform webinar hosted by the Small Business Majority and ABA.

As a bipartisan coalition of U.S. lawmakers seeks to pass federal sales tax fairness legislation, a Utah Senate committee approved an affiliate-nexus bill sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, and in West Virginia, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has proposed legislation that would require remote retailers with warehouses in the state to collect and remit sales tax.

Registration is now open to ABA member booksellers for a free March 26 webinar “Your Bottom Line: What Healthcare Reform Means for Your Small Business,” presented by ABA and the Small Business Majority.

Today, February 20, is the date set by state of Georgia for all retailers to submit sales taxes collected for the month of January. Legislation, which went into effect on January 1, made clear that Amazon.com has nexus in Georgia and is therefore required to collect sales tax on purchases made by state residents.