Dear friends and neighbors,
As the owner of a pizza restaurant and ice cream parlor, I see firsthand the impact that small businesses have on their communities. Small mom-and-pop shops provide jobs, sponsor little league teams and provide places to gather. These shops truly define a community’s character. After all, what would Snoqualmie’s historic downtown be like without its unique small retailers?
Unfortunately, these small mom-and-pop shops that we love are having a difficult time competing with internet retailers located out of state.
Right now, out-of-state internet retailers selling to Washingtonians have a competitive advantage because they don’t have to collect sales tax. To address this inequity, I am co-sponsoring Senate Bill 5855 to ensure that internet-based businesses are subject to the same taxes paid by small brick-and-mortars operating in Washington state.
This bill levels the playing field so that our small corner shops and businesses can remain competitive and continue to do what they do best – drive our local economies.
Better yet, this bill kills two birds with one stone. It not only supports the small businesses that define our communities, it has the potential to raise enough money to fully-fund our schools and work in concert with the K-12 funding proposal I introduced last month.
Best regards,
