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US Lawmakers Push For a Permanent Ban On Internet Access Taxes
jfruh (300774) writes Since 1998, U.S. law has forbidden states from taxing Internet access — but the law has an expiration date that's been extended five times now. The new Congress is attempting to make the ban permanent, but some members are objecting to the fact that the proposed bill leaves in place grandfather clauses for states like Texas and Ohio that already had taxes in place in 1998.
The problem is that the current law has a "sunset provision" that says it's void after a certain date. This is the 6th time renewing this ban has come up for debate because of this. A "permanent law" is a misnomer, because as you state even the Constitution can be edited.
Economists have worked out that the cost of regulations in the US drives the median income down from $113K to $42K, in equivalent purchasing power (ever wonder where the productivity goes?) With all that wealth and the tendency towards charity, you don't need a centrally-planned minimum income (sorry, monetarists) you need way less central planning. It ain't free by a long shot.
Later law automagically overrides, so a law cannot make anything permanent.
All it'll take is a new law allowing/mandating internet access taxes to make this "permanent" ban vanish.
Thank you. It must totally rile you up that permanent magic marker can be removed with rubbing alcohol or the heat-death of the universe.
permanent
adjective
1. lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely.
indefinite
adjective
lasting for an unknown or unstated length of time.
"Oh no... he found the
it's not in tfa, so from another source: "Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin currently tax Internet access under ITFA's 1998 grandfather clause. Tennessee, Washington, and New Hampshire are permitted to collect Internet access taxes but do not currently do so." source: http://www.governing.com/news/... just in case anyone else was curious.