From the Performance Marketing Association:

Georgia House Ways and Means and Appropriations chairs just introduced bills, amending the sales and use tax. They are really just spot holder bills at the moment, but they could be considering an affiliate tax at some point. We’ll continue to track.

HB 1221

HB 1244

If you are a Georgia affiliate marketer, there are 2 ways to prepare: register with the PMA so we can keep in contact with you regarding progress, and join the Georgia Google group.

The following is a message from Travis Hopkins from Overstock.com. Several states have adopted and are trying to adopt what we are calling an advertising tax. I DO NOT bring this to your attention so you can have a ready made bill in the state of Georgia. I bring it to your attention because if this type of bill were to be introduced in the state of Georgia, I would take up the cause and fight it with everything I have. I am an affiliate marketing manager. My customers are merchants and their customers are affiliates, some of whom live in Georgia. The advertising tax in New York has devastated the incomes of many stay at home internet savvy affiliates because merchants no longer wish to work with them.

January 25, 2010

Dear Affiliate:

Overstock.com values your advertising efforts on our behalf, and we hope to be in a position to continue our business connection for years to come. However, we are writing to inform you the Colorado state
legislature has introduced a bill which puts our continued relationship in jeopardy. HB 1193 (Concerning the Collection of Sales and Use Taxes on Sales Made by Out‐of‐State Retailers) was introduced on January 22, 2010. We are told the bill is moving quickly. This bill is modeled on a bill first passed in New York. The legislation attempts to establish responsibility for collection of sales tax for out‐of‐state retailers if those out‐of‐state retailers use Colorado‐based affiliate advertisers. We believe such bills are not only harmful to business, but unconstitutional and contrary decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.

More importantly, if HB 1193 passes, Overstock.com will have to sever relationships with Colorado Affiliates before the bill becomes law. We have done this in each state where such legislation has passed: New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island.However, in at least 3 states last year, the voices of local affiliate advertisers were heard. They pointed out that such legislation was unconstitutional, would be bad for local business and would not increase state revenues. Those bills were either not passed or vetoed by informed governors.

You may want to make your voice heard on the matter. Currently, we have information that the bill is on the agenda of the House Appropriations Committee for hearing Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at
8:30AM. It is uncertain if the Committee will hear public comment at the meeting, but they may, and you may want to attend the hearing. If you cannot, but would like to voice your opinion, you may do so by contacting the bill’s sponsor Rep. Jack Pommer (jack.pommer.house@state.co.us; (303) 866‐2780) or your local legislator.

Again, Overstock.com values your work, and we are confident that, like other states recently examining and rejecting this legislation, Colorado will also see that this bill is bad for business and bad for Colorado.

Respectfully,

Jonathan E. Johnson III
President
Overstock.com, Inc.

Georgia Representative Earl Ehrhart received the American Legislative Exchange Council’s National Leadership Award for Limited Government and Free Enterprise at its Annual Meeting in Atlanta on Thursday, July 16. Rep. Ehrhart was nominated for this prestigious award by fellow state legislators from across the nation for his steadfast support of the principles of limited government and free enterprise.

Former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and many other notable policy leaders addressed an audience of nearly 1,600 state legislators and business leaders at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s 36th Annual Meeting held July 15 to 18 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.

“The annual Meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council provides a unique opportunity for legislators from all 50 states to come together to discuss policy solutions collectively along with public-policy experts and the private sector,” said Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Bill Howell, ALEC’s 2009 National Chairman. “ALEC’s process of producing principled model legislation is unparalleled among its type,” he added.

Other notable speakers included: Dr. Art Laffer and Stephen Moore, co-authors of ALEC’s Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index; syndicated radio host Herman Cain; and Daniel Hannan (MEP).

Featured workshops included:

Medical Innovation
Higher Education
Energy and Economic Recovery
Virtual Learning
Transparency in the States
E-Discovery
The Politics of Climate Change
Saving America’s Election System

Most of the business conducted at ALEC occurs in one of its nine Task Forces which include; Health and Human Services; Natural Resources; Education; Tax and Fiscal Policy; Public Safety and Elections; Civil Justice; Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development; Telecommunications and Information Technology; and International Relations. These Task Forces have considered, written, and approved hundreds of model bills, offering real policy solutions for states on a wide range of issues. Each year, state legislatures consider close to 1,000 bills that are based, at least in part, on ALEC Model Legislation. Hundreds of these bills are enacted every year.

See these pictures and more at the 120Politics Facebook Fan Page.

U.S. Rep. Tom Price

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel

Sen. Eric Johnson

Ray McBerry

Georgia Insurance Commission John Oxendine

Rep. Austin Scott, R-153

Brian Kemp, running for Secretary of State

Doug MacGinnitie, running for Secretary of State

Rep. Ralph Hudgens, R-24, running for Insurance Commissioner

Stephen Northington, running for Insurance Commissioner

Gerry Purcell, running for Insurance Commissioner

Look for these photos and more on the 120Politics Facebook Fan Page.

Rep. Judy Manning R-32, walking in the Marietta 4th of July Parade

Cobb Republican Party float

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel

Sen. Eric Johnson, R-1

Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens

My friendly neighborhood Starbucks on Georgia Hwy 120 (next to the “stinky” Kroger) has been a good place to spot politicos and pundits lately. Just yesterday I spotted John Albers, who is running for State Senate District 56. Also in the crowd was Nicole Barry who reminded me I’m not too old to still be considered a Young Republican. And as I was leaving I saw Rep. Harry Geisinger, R-48, picking up some Mexican food across the parking lot.

Just about two weeks ago I saw the notorious Bill Simon at the same location. So it sounds like this Starbucks might be the new place to hang out and talk politics. Too bad I don’t drink coffee…

The Georgia Retail Association (GRA) named state Representative Tom Graves, R-Ranger, as the 2009 “Legislator of the Year” at its annual legislative conference and meeting on Monday, June 1, 2009.  Graves received the honor for his work on House Bills 481 and 482, the Jobs, Opportunity and Business Success Act of 2009 (JOBS Act).



“The Jobs Act was designed to help the state’s businesses survive in difficult economic times,” said John Heavener, President of the GRA.  “While HB 481 was vetoed by the governor it included a number of key provisions for the state’s retailers.  One important provision of the bill would have ended the requirement of having merchants estimating their sales tax obligation in advance of collections, and remitting those sales taxes revenue before they were ever realized.  In these days of tight credit and small or negative profits, cash flow is compromised by the existing law.  Georgia is one of the few states that has this unusual requirement.”



Authored by Graves during the recent legislative session, the JOBS bills provided state tax cuts, eliminations and credits to Georgia businesses that created jobs for out of work Georgians.  The state House and Senate overwhelmingly approved the JOBS bills in an effort to create, expand and attract jobs for Georgians.



“Tom Graves clearly understands how revenue is raised – it is through sales and profits, and his efforts to enact HB 481, which was vetoed by the governor, would have helped keep existing companies in business and allow new companies to start-up in these difficult times,” according to the Georgia Retail Association.



“It’s an honor to be named the Georgia Retail Association’s Legislator of the Year,” said Graves.  “I’m a small businessman and I know the way to attract jobs and produce economic recovery here in Georgia is to put people back to work through an expanded private sector, not an expanded government.”



Graves received the “Legislative Entrepreneur of the Year Award” by the Freedom Works Foundation for his tireless effort to stem the tide of expansive government and reduce the tax burden on Georgians, the “Champion of Georgia Cities” award by the Georgia Municipal Association and most recently honored by the 9th District Republican Committee as the “2009 Legislator of the Year” from the 9th Congressional District of Georgia.

The Republican Party of Gwinnett County’s upcoming breakfast meeting will feature guest speaker State Representative Austin Scott (R-Tifton), Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee and candidate for Governor.  

Also invited are all 5 county commissioners to talk about the proposed millage rate increase was tabled at Tuesday’s public hearing.  

“The Gwinnett Republican Party offers the county’s conservative voters the opportunity to meet the candidates running for governor and to be better educated on this issues that matter in the community,” said party Chairman Chuck Efstration.  

The meeting, scheduled for this Saturday, June 6th, will start at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast service begins at 8:00 a.m. and the meeting is held at the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant located at 3505 Mall Boulevard in Duluth, across from Gwinnett Place Mall. 

For more information on this Saturday’s meeting or other upcoming Gwinnett Republican Party events, please visit our web site at www.gwinnettgop.org or send an email to gwinnettrepublicanparty@gmail.com.

Well I went to my first political rally in many many years today and despite a few rain showers in Dacula, the event was very nice. Attendees were able to meet a handful of statewide candidates including some for the big office under the Gold Dome. 

I got there a little after 12 and was in the food line when the speeches started so I had a front row view for Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, Ray McBerry and Rep. Melvin Everson, R-Snellville.  Oxendine, Scott and McBerry are running for Governor and Everson is running for Labor Commissioner. Other statewide candidates were there but I got busy eating and mingling and missed most of their speeches. I left around 2:15 p.m. and I don’t know if Sec. of State Karen Handel, Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah or U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal showed up, the rest of the candidates for Governor.

I was able to snap a few pictures so look below. I look forward to attending more of these local rallies so I can get to know the candidates, the staff, the consultants and ultimately the kingmakers…

Ray McBerry speaking at the Gwinnett County GOP BBQ on Memorial Day

John Oxendine at the Gwinnett County GOP BBQ on Memorial Day

Austin Scott at the Gwinnett County GOP BBQ on Memorial Day

Melvin Everson at the Gwinnett County GOP BBQ on Memorial Day