On the recordMarch 21, 2013
I rise today in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act. This act will level the playing field for small business retailers in Minnesota and across the country. I want to thank Senator Enzi for his years of work on this. He had a retail shoe store. I thank Senator Durbin, Senator Heitkamp, and Senator Alexander for introducing this legislation. This legislation will simply allow States to help their brick-and-mortar retailers, including the mom-and-pop shops on Main Street, stay competitive in a marketplace where online sales have become a fact of life. The amendment we offered to the budget resolution today lays the groundwork for passing that legislation. It is a commonsense measure which brings our sales tax into the 21st century. In Minnesota, the retail industry includes nearly a half million workers, which is about one in five jobs in our State. Those retailers need to compete on price and service every single day. The current sales tax system makes it impossible for them to compete. Senator Cardin spoke about something that is very common around this country. I have heard the same exact story myself. It is where someone walks into an electronics store and wants to buy a big flat-screen TV, and they get the guy who knows everything to come over and point out what is the best for their needs. The salesman is a very skilled guy. He was hired because he knows what he is doing. He sells the TV, except he doesn't sell it, not for his store.…
