Thursday, February 4, 2010, 1:50 P.M.
Arie

The agenda for tomorrow's House Revenue and Taxation Standing Committee meeting was posted late last night and once again HB 48 wasn't on it. The rumor now is that the bill's sponsor is reworking the bill so that it becomes a straight repeal of the restaurant tax without a county option sales tax to offset the loss in revenue. Obviously, UAC strongly opposes that bill. Apparently, as it was originally written, HB 48 generated too much opposition from retailers (due to the sales tax provision) to go anywhere. Now the sponsor will try his luck against counties and the tourism industry with retailers sitting the fight out.

The House Revenue and Taxation Standing Committee is meeting next week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8:00 AM in room 445 of the State Capitol. County officials will want to be ready to make their way onto the Hill if the bill makes the agenda for either of those meetings.