Advocacy

The recent study Home Sweet Home: Locals vs. Amazon demonstrates the significant economic benefit that supporting independent businesses has on local communities.

Seattle’s city council has voted 7-2 to repeal a measure aimed at collecting tax from the city’s largest businesses, including Amazon and Starbucks, in order to raise funds for housing services.

The tax applies to companies that gross at least $20 million per year and will fund affordable housing and homeless services; since its proposal, Amazon — the city’s largest employer — has resisted the measure.

“Every day, attempts to hinder or to outright ban our right to free expression continue at an alarming pace in this country and around the globe. And in many ways, it is a death by a thousand paper cuts,” writes ABFE Director David Grogan.

“I believe working in the interests of independent booksellers is inherently working in the interest of free expression,” said Peroni, who joined the ABFE, advocacy, and public policy team this month.

South Dakota v. Wayfair, Overstock, and Newegg addresses online retailers’ obligation to collect and remit sales tax and what constitutes a business’ physical presence in a state.

Last month, Gui Minhai stated he wanted no help from any concerned nations or organizations, but many media outlets reported that it was likely his statement was coerced by the Chinese government.

Employers with five or more employees that don’t already provide a retirement plan will be required to offer a retirement plan of their choosing or provide employees access to the state-run program.

Protesters demanded that the bookstore cancel the scheduled in-store appearance of Francisco Cantú, a former Border Patrol officer who is promoting his debut memoir, The Line Becomes a River.

At the annual PubWest conference, National Coalition Against Censorship Executive Director Chris Finan spoke to publishers about the current state of free speech in the U.S.