Asa Hutchinson: “this amendment amends the McCain first-degree underlying amendment to allow the commission to establish by the Internet…”

“this amendment amends the McCain first-degree underlying amendment to allow the commission to establish by the Internet Tax Freedom Act a study of the effects of taxation on interstate sales, or the lack thereof on retail businesses and State and local governments. I can think of nothing more reasonable and nothing more common sense than saying that the commission that we are creating should conduct a study to look at and examine the implications upon retail businesses and the implications upon local and State governments that this moratorium and this bill would have. The Senate rejected an amendment last week which would have immediately authorized States to require out-of-State sellers to collect sales taxes and remit them to the State in which the purchase was made. My colleague from Arkansas, Senator Bumpers, offered that amendment. I think that many of my colleagues who joined me in voting against this amendment would agree that this issue warrants further study. Why not have the commission establish by this bill conduct a study and examine the issue that is so important to State and local governments and which is so important to local businesses that are trying to survive and who are remitting those sales taxes. This issue, which is so critical, ought to be, I believe, examined and studied.”