In 2011, there was substantial public outcry over a proposed "Christmas tree tax" that the Obama administration allegedly sought to implement on all sales of the holiday decoration staple. As it turned out, the tax was actually being proposed by the industry itself, through a regulatory process established by Republican lawmakers in the 104th Congress. The tax would be used to establish a "checkoff" program, which would fund research, development, and marketing efforts within the industry. The proposal never came to pass, but is being re-introduced in the current Congress by House Republicans.
In this week's edition of the Taxpayer's Tab, NTUF provides some background on the fee and similar "checkoff" programs that already exist for other industries. Additionally, we've gathered some of the details on proposals for other "checkoff" programs being introduced in the current Congress, including one by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) for concrete masonry producers, and another by Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) that would reestablish the National Oilheat Research Alliance.
Since its release last week, the latest BillTally report on the 112th Congress has been featured in a number of national, state, and local publications. Included in the Tab is a roundup of some of those analyses, as well as an overview of some of the research NTUF has compiled on specific states' delegations' agendas.
You can view the tab online here, and sign up to receive future editions via email here.