Shopping Center Industry Applauds The Passage Of Marketplace Fairness Act In The Senate

The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 Passes the U.S. Senate in a 69-27 Vote

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) today applauded the United States Senate for the passage of The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 in a 69-27 vote. The bipartisan legislation gives states the authority to choose to require online sellers to collect sales taxes just like brick-and-mortar retailers already do. The bill, which provides a common-sense solution to a decades-old problem that has created a distorted marketplace, is designed to promote fairness and compliance, without burdening free enterprise.

"The shopping center industry would like to thank Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) for their resolute dedication to moving this critical piece of legislation through the Senate," said Michael P. Kercheval, president and CEO of ICSC. "The Marketplace Fairness Act creates a fair marketplace that protects retailers, restores the states' ability to manage their own fiscal policies and strengthens the United States' free enterprise system."

Sixty-nine Senators from both parties voted in favor of S. 743, demonstrating the tremendous momentum for creating a fair, competitive marketplace. The bipartisan passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act sends a strong message to the House of Representatives, where a companion bill, H.R. 684, was introduced in February.

"For the past two decades, the retail environment has dramatically changed. To keep pace with those changes, our laws must evolve," said Betsy Laird, senior vice president of global public policy of ICSC. "The Senate acknowledged this through the passage of this legislation and we now look to the House to continue the momentum and bring H.R. 684 to a vote."

ICSC has promoted sales tax fairness for over a decade, advocating that a "sale is a sale" regardless of whether the purchase takes place on Main Street, at shopping centers, over the Internet or with a smart phone. For more information about sales tax fairness and how the current sales tax system is unable to support the 21^st century retail marketplace please visit www.21stcenturyretail.org.

About ICSC
Founded in 1957, ICSC is the premier global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 58,000 members in over 90 countries include shopping center owners, retailers, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, and brokers as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world. For more information, visit www.icsc.org.

SOURCE International Council of Shopping Centers

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Statements On Maryland Legislature's Passage Of Assault Weapons Ban And Limits On Ammunition Magazines

State's Gun Reform Package Will Reduce Gun Violence, Protect Maryland Families and Law Enforcement Officers, and Help Save Lives; www.DemandAction.org

NEW YORK, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following the Maryland Legislature's passage of gun safety legislation that includes a ban on military-style assault weapons and limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines, among other measures, the co-chairs of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, as well as Maryland mayors and family members who have lost loved ones to gun violence, issued the below statements.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns has 17 mayors in its national bipartisan coalition from Maryland, which is just the latest state to pass stronger and commonsense gun laws, joining New York, Colorado, and most recently Connecticut.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chairs

"Maryland has joined a growing number of states across the country that are taking swift and meaningful action to reduce gun violence in America," said Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "Thanks to the leadership of state lawmakers and Governor O'Malley, Maryland's citizens will be safer, its law enforcement officers will be better protected, and its communities will be free from military-style weapons. Our nation deserves the same commonsense reforms to keep Americans out of the line of fire – and together with leaders in Maryland and around the country, we will continue to push Congress to take action."

"This package of commonsense legislation that Maryland passed will help save lives across the state," said Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chair and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Governor O'Malley and state legislators have done their part to help reduce gun violence in this country, and I applaud their courage on this critical issue. Now, we need Congress to do its part by making sure that gun safety reform becomes the law of the land. Americans everywhere need to keep the pressure up and demand action from their leaders in Washington."

Maryland Mayors

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore

"The Maryland General Assembly has taken decisive action to help reduce gun violence in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. In the face of tremendous pressure from special interests looking to protect the status quo, our leaders were bold and courageous. I want to thank Governor O'Malley, Senate President Miller and House Speaker Busch for their leadership and commitment to the people of our state. It's time for Congress to follow the growing number of states that have passed commonsense by taking up its own legislation that will reduce gun violence and save lives. The American people clearly demand action."

Mayor Andrew Fellows of College Park

"The massacre at Newtown last December shocked the nation. Barely 100 days later, I'm gratified that our state legislators have responded so quickly and nimbly. The comprehensive bill legislators approved will keep Maryland safe, giving us peace of mind that purchasers cannot buy guns on behalf of criminals, lost and stolen guns will not go unreported, and police will no longer be gunned down by weapons that belong on the battlefield. I hope our state will serve as a model for the nation."

Mayor Sidney Katz of Gaithersburg

"I applaud the members of the Maryland General Assembly for passing critical legislation that will increase public safety across our state. I look forward to the U.S. Congress following their lead. Our federal legislators need to pass major reforms that are supported by 9 in 10 Americans. Now is the time to enact comprehensive national laws that will protect lives and strengthen law enforcement."

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio of Rockville

"Gun violence is wreaking havoc across the nation. But our lawmakers in Annapolis have taken decisive action to keep weapons of war off our streets, protect our law enforcement officers, and make our state a safer place for everyone. I applaud the Legislature for passing this package of sensible gun laws, and I hope our action will serve as a model for the country."

Family of Gun Violence Victims

Diane Xander, Wife of Mark Xander

"The legislation passed today will prevent more wives from losing their husbands and feeling the pain I've endured. But guns don't respect state borders, and this problem requires a national solution. Congress must now do everything in its power to keep guns out of the wrong hands."

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.MayorsAgainstIllegalGuns.org

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

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