April 06, 2001 California Assembly Takes Up Issue of E-Fairness As BTW went to press, the California state legislature was again debating the issue of e-fairness for state retailers. State Assembly Bill 81, which calls for the same clarification of state tax legislation as the e-fairness bill that passed the state legislature, cleared a major hurdle on April 2 by passing the Assembly's Revenue and Tax Committee. The bill would ensure that any retailer with a presence in the state collect sales tax on Internet sales. Assembly Bill 81 was approved by a vote of six to two, with one abstention. Hut Landon, executive director of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association testified on behalf of the bill. He noted to BTW that there was a much greater understanding of the bill and its issue this year by Assembly members. Topics: Internet Commerce, News - Regional, Sales Tax Initiative,