As critics bare their teeth, Casper lawmaker doubles down on corporate income tax
Few bills in the Wyoming Legislature the past several years have elicited more controversy — or soul-searching about Wyoming’s future — than the National Retail Fairness Act, a corporate income tax proposal by Casper Republican Rep. Jerry Obermueller. The bill was intended to target big-box stores, shelter small businesses and partially fill an education funding shortfall the state faces heading into next year’s budget season.
Introduced mere weeks before the start of the 2019 session, it initially received a warm reception in the House of Representatives, where all revenue-generating bills must originate. With little fanfare, the bill received 44 votes on third reading before proceeding to the Senate. There, it died in committee after a barrage of negative press from conservative activists and Washington organizations.
Near death in the first meeting of the Joint Committee on Revenue earlier this year, a proposal for a new, broader version of the tax has survived into July. It could very well be on the table for lawmakers in what might be a tense budget-making session in 2020.
What is it?
According to Obermueller, the bill would allow Wyoming to take advantage of national pricing models used by major corporations like Wal-Mart to generate new revenue for Wyoming.
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