Let’s level the playing field for local business

As Iowa communities continue to recover from the national recession, we should do all we can to ensure our local businesses have a fair chance to compete.

If a company wants to sell their goods to Iowans, they should play by the same rules as Iowa companies with Iowa employees.

That’s why I believe Iowa needs to collect sales tax on Internet purchases. Failing to collect sales tax from online businesses—some of the biggest corporations in the world—gives them an unfair advantage. 

Large, out-of-state companies should help support our schools and community services just like local businesses.

Senate File 2330, which got bipartisan approval in the Senate this year, would have helped level the playing field by collecting sales tax from online companies. This effort didn’t make it to the Governor’s desk, but I’ll continue to fight for fairness for our local businesses.