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Rep. Chaffetz urges state action on remote-sales tax, public-lands bill and prison reform during Utah Senate visit
Summary
U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz addressed the Utah Senate, urging education and coalition-building for remote-transaction parity, warning about a DOJ Office of Legal Counsel change on the Wire Act and outlining plans for public-lands legislation and bipartisan prison-reform work.
U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz visited the Utah Senate floor and urged state lawmakers to back efforts to secure remote-transaction parity and to press Congress on public-lands legislation.
Chaffetz told senators that the remote-sales debate is “a state's rights bill” and said the change would allow states to make determinations on collecting taxes for remote transactions. “It's not taxing the internet,” he said, arguing the measure would create an even playing field for in-state businesses and make taxes destination-based.
He warned that a 2011 Office of Legal Counsel memo at the U.S. Department of Justice had changed long-standing Wire Act interpretations and that online gaming policies were shifting at the federal level. “What cannot stand is to just have the Office of Legal Counsel change 50 years of precedent,” Chaffetz said, characterizing the shift as a legal-policy change rather than congressional action.
Chaffetz outlined a plan to build bipartisan coalitions in Congress and asked state legislators to pass resolutions and engage constituents to give “air cover” to hesitant federal lawmakers. He briefed senators on a multistate approach and said the bill rollout would follow coalition-building rather than an immediate filing of a numbered bill.
On public lands, Chaffetz described ongoing work with county leaders and members of Congress, saying a base bill would be overlaid for counties that choose to participate and that timing could be in the March–April window depending on negotiations. He also mentioned federal budget support for Moab tailings cleanup and said criminal-justice reforms, including sentencing and reentry work, are being pursued on a bipartisan basis.
During questioning, senators pressed Chaffetz on timing for gas-tax and public-lands legislation and on the specifics of who would pay remote-sales taxes. Chaffetz replied that debates would center on whether the tax incidence falls on companies or consumers and emphasized the need for education and state-level resolution votes to strengthen the federal case.
The exchange concluded with senators pledging support and with Chaffetz thanking Utah legislators for their groundwork and resolutions that, he said, help build momentum in Washington.
The Committee of the Whole returned to regular session after the remarks.
