Last week, Massachusetts Rep. Bill Delahunt introduced a bill called the “Main Street Fairness Act,” which is a stupid name for a bill. The text of the bill hasn’t been released yet, but if passed, it would presumably set up a process where sales tax could be collected on purchases made over the Internet. As anyone who has shopped online over the past decade is probably aware, this has been an ongoing and thorny issue, since billions in online sales tax would provide a welcome revenue stream for struggling states.

If you’re against an Internet sales tax, you can take comfort that Delahunt has introduced this in the past (back in 2007) and that it’s been an ongoing fight without much forward momentum so far. If you’re for it, you can also take heart; as CNET notes, “With states scrambling for new sources of revenue during what may be a double-dip recession, pro-tax lobbyists are hoping that they’ll have better luck this year.”

“Democrats push for new Internet sales taxes” [CNET]

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