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Home > BizTimes Daily > Archives > December 24, 2008
Wisconsin business group to fight new sales taxes
Published December 24, 2008 - BizTimes Daily
Protecting independent businesses and farms from expansion of the sales tax base tops the legislative agenda for Wisconsin Independent Businesses (WIB) going into the 2009-10 session.
Health care costs, business contracts language, unemployment insurance and small claims court reform round out the top five agenda issues that the WIB will pursue before the new legislature.
"Expanding the sales tax base is a terrible idea," said Wayne Corey, executive director of the WIB. "To reverse decades of sound tax policy at the height of a bad recession is the height of folly and WIB will help legislators understand that a broad-based approach to new state revenue is the wise path to take."
The WIB has been involved with development of plans leading toward the proposed BadgerChoice health insurance reform proposal.
"We expect to be able to actively support it if it is part of the executive budget bill," Corey said.
Legislation requiring large multi-state companies to timely notify Wisconsin firms about automatic renewal clauses hidden in lease and service contracts returns as a leading priority for the WIB in 2009.
"This legislation has passed the Senate three times and been killed by Assembly leaders or a committee chair the past three sessions. Those people are no longer in power and, in some cases, no longer in the legislature. We expect this important common sense bill to pass handily," Corey said.
The state Unemployment Insurance Fund seems poised to run out of money early in the New Year. If new legislation is needed to shore up the system, the WIB will strongly support protection for the small stable employers who have a positive balance in their UI account.
"Independent business and farm owners have proven they are the backbone of Wisconsin's economy. The challenges faced by small business and farmers are great. WIB will work to protect our members in these very difficult times," Corey said.
