Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Rep. Goodlatte Keen On Hi-Tech And Internet Issues

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2003 11:54:03 -0500

Rep. Goodlatte Keen On Hi-Tech And Internet Issues

Oct 29, 2003

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) is not a member of the House Commerce
Committee, which, of course, means he does not sit on the
telecommunications subcommittee. But make no mistake: Goodlatte is seen
by the telecom industry as a lawmaker of significant importance. That's
because he sits on the House Judiciary Committee, the panel that
frequently weighs in on policy issues destined for implementation by the
FCC.
Goodlatte, who last month celebrated his 51st birthday, is a high-tech
junkie, according to those close to the Virginia Republican. Likewise,
he is a major proponent of the Internet and broadband technology.
Goodlatte spokesperson Elyse Bauer told TPR that earlier this month, the
congressman and Rep. Rick Boucher, (D-Va.) introduced legislation aimed
at clarifying the confusion surrounding when a state can levy business
activity taxes on out-of-state businesses - particularly in those
businesses that frequently use the Internet as a sales and marketing
tool.

Over the past several years, a growing number of states have sought to
collect business activity taxes from businesses in other states. The
problem is that different states use different standards for determining
what constitutes sufficient contacts with a state to justify taxation.
As a result, businesses have shied away from expanding their presence in
other states for fear of exposure to further taxation.

As Goodlatte explains it, the legislation he and Boucher sponsored sets
specific guidelines for when an out-of-state business may be charged a
tax for doing business in a state. "Just because a Web site can be
accessed by consumers in a certain state, doesn't mean that state should
be able to collect taxes from the Web site owner. This legislation
focuses on allowing the Internet and the commerce that it facilitates to
expand, by eliminating excessive taxes that harm on-line growth.

Earlier last week, Goodlatte was part of a bipartisan group of leading
House and Senate lawmakers that launched the Congressional International
Anti-Piracy Caucus, a group dedicated to working with America's
international trade partners to secure enactment of strong copyright
laws as wells as vigilant enforcement of those laws. Goodlatte was named
one of the congressional co-chairs of the Caucus. The other co-chairs
include Sens, Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), and Joe Biden (D-Del.), and Rep.
Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
The Caucus, Bauer said, will support congressional efforts to deal with
the problem of piracy and Administration efforts to obtain strong
intellectual property protections in the context of international trade
agreements. Among its functions, the Caucus will provide briefings for
congressional delegations traveling to countries with significant piracy
problems; staff and member briefings and forums on international
intellectual property protection and piracy; demonstrations of new
technologies and products designed to improve consumers' entertainment
experiences.

Telecom Services & Equipment PAC Donations To Goodlatte, 2001-2002
Telecom Services & Equipment $10,500
AT&T Wireless Services $500
Cable & Wireless USA $1,000
Cellular Telecom & Internet Assn $2,000
Cingular Wireless $1,000
Echostar Communications $3,000
Qwest Communications $2,000
Satellite Broadcasting & Commun Assn $1,000
SES Americom $500
Verizon Wireless $500

Numbers are based on data released by the FEC on Monday, June 9, 2003.

Telco PAC Donations To Goodlatte, 2001-2002
Telephone Utilities $18,950
BellSouth Corp $6,000
SBC Communications $6,000
US Telecom Assn $2,950
Verizon Communications $4,000
Numbers are based on data released by the FEC on Monday, June 9, 2003

YTD Communications/ Electronics PAC Donations To Goodlatte For 2003-2004

Communic/Electronics $24,000
Printing & Publishing $2,500
TV/Movies/Music $12,000
Utilities $5,500
Telecom Services & Equipment $2,000
Electronics Mfg & Services $1,000
Computers/Internet $1,000
Numbers are based on data released by the FEC on Monday, Sept. 22, 2003.

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