Durbin meets with business leaders on fairness
SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says legislation before Congress would allow traditional store-based businesses to compete against interstate Internet retailers.
The Illinois Democrat met in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday with Chamber of Commerce leaders from his hometown of Springfield. Durbin says the group discussed business priorities such as economic development and transportation improvements as well as the Marketplace Fairness Act.
The fairness legislation was introduced by Durbin and Republican Sens. Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. It would make it easier for states to collect sales taxes on purchases from multistate retailers like the taxes consumers at so-called brick-and-mortar stores must pay.
Durbin says it has bipartisan support and was included in the Senate's budget resolution for the fiscal year that begins in October.