Legislative Report -- January 23, 2008

Take Action: Urge Your Legislators to Repeal the Computer Services Sales Tax
Contact your legislators today and urge them to support the repeal of the computer services sales tax, enacted during the recent special session.

Effective July 1, 2008, Maryland's 6 percent sales tax will apply to computer services, including:

• Computer facilities management and operation.
• Custom programming.
• Computer system planning and design that integrate computer hardware, software, and communication technologies.
• Computer disaster recovery.
• Data processing, storage and recovery.
• Hardware or software installation, maintenance, and repair.
• To view enacted language, click here (pdf) .

“Innovative technologies fuel business growth and job creation,” said Kathy Snyder, President and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. “Regardless of company size or industry sector, Maryland businesses rely on computer services. This tax will harm Maryland’s economic development goal of maintaining a high-tech knowledge economy and workforce.”

If we are going to succeed in repealing the computer services sales tax, we must ensure that legislators are hearing from impacted constituents. Call or email your legislators today! Tell them how the tax will negatively impact your business, your clients and your employees. Urge them to co-sponsor legislation to repeal the tax. Talking points and a sample letter are available at www.FightTheTechTax.com.

Majority of Delegates Call for Repeal of Computer Services Sales Tax
Seventy-two of the 141 members of the Maryland House of Delegates have signed on as co-sponsors of a bill that would repeal the computer services sales tax enacted during the legislature’s November 2007 special session.

“The Maryland Chamber thanks the 72 Delegates who signed on as co-sponsors of HB 196,” said Maryland Chamber President & CEO Kathy Snyder. “A majority of Maryland Delegates have concluded that the computer services sales tax is a bad idea. They recognize the negative impact the tax would have on Maryland’s economic development goal of maintaining a high-tech knowledge economy and workforce.”

The following delegates are co-sponsors of HB 196: Delegates Pendergrass, F. Turner, Guzzone, Ali, Aumann, Barkley, Bartlett, Bates, Beidle, Beitzel, Bromwell, G. Clagett, Costa, DeBoy, Dumais, Dwyer, Eckardt, Elliott, Elmore, Feldman, Frank, George, Gutierrez, Haddaway, Harrison, Hecht, Hucker, James, Jennings, Kach, Kelly, King, Kipke, Kramer, Krebs, Lee, Levi, Levy, Malone, Mathias, McComas, McConkey, McDonough, McKee, Miller, Minnick, Mizeur, Montgomery, Morhaim, Myers, Norman, O'Donnell, Olszewski, Pena-Melnyk, Riley, Rosenberg, Schuh, Schuler, Shank, Shewell, Smigiel, Sophocleus, Sossi, Stein, Stifler, Stocksdale, Stull, Taylor, Vaughn, Walker, Weldon, and Wood.

Repealing the computer services sales tax is a Maryland Chamber priority.

If you see your delegates on the list above, send them an email to thank them for their support. If your delegates are missing, email then and ask them to support this bill.

How Will the Computer Services Sales Tax Impact Your Business?
How will the computer services sales tax impact your business? As the Maryland Chamber works to repeal the tax before its July 1 effective date, your story can help us make our case.

• What computer services does your company provide or consume?
• How many people do you employ?
• How will this tax impact your bottom line or your ability to compete?
• Who are your clients?
• Will this tax cause you to consider altering your operations in any way?

We want to hear from you. Please consider emailing Will Burns at wburns@mdchamber.org with details about how the tax will impact your company, your clients and your employees.

MD Chamber Names Allyson Black VP of Government Affairs
The Maryland Chamber of Commerce named Allyson Black Vice President of Government Affairs. She will manage the Chamber’s legislative advocacy efforts in critical areas including transportation, environmental regulation, commercial law, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation. Her first day will be January 28.

“Allyson will be an excellent addition to the Chamber’s public policy team,” Maryland Chamber President and CEO Kathleen T. Snyder, CCE said. “Her experience working with the legislature will help the Maryland Chamber advance its goals in the 2008 session.”

For the past three years, Black has worked as Legislative Liaison in the Legislative Office of Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson and lobbied a variety of county issues during the 2005, 2006 and 2007 sessions of the Maryland General Assembly.  She earned a master’s degree in public administration in 2004 from Florida State University and holds a bachelor’s in English from Florida A&M University. She lives in Upper Marlboro.

She replaces Heather Hamilton, Esq., who recently accepted a position with Popham & Andryszak, P.A., an Annapolis law firm concentrating on government affairs and regulatory matters with a focus on insurance, civil liability and business issues.

February 4: Maryland Congressional Delegation Dinner
The Maryland Chamber’s Congressional Delegation Dinner will be held February 4 at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt. This event is an outstanding opportunity to meet with the entire Maryland congressional delegation at once.

During this town hall meeting style event, Maryland's congressional delegation and Maryland Chamber members will discuss important federal business issues like the economy, transportation funding, health care affordability, immigration reform, energy policy, and more.

Registration is $80 for Maryland Chamber members, $140 for nonmembers. To register, visit www.mdchamber.org or contact Kristen Solis at (410) 269-0642, (301) 261-2858 or ksolis@mdchamber.org. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Jan Krueger at (410) 269-0642, (301) 261-2858 or jkrueger@mdchamber.org.

Upcoming Committee Meetings

January 24, 2008
Environment Committee
MD Chamber of Commerce
60 West Street, Suite 100, Annapolis, MD 21401
8:30 a.m.

January 28, 2008
Legislative Committee
MD Chamber of Commerce
60 West Street, Suite 100, Annapolis, MD 21401
3 p.m.

January 31, 2008
Environment Committee
MD Chamber of Commerce
60 West Street, Suite 100, Annapolis, MD 21401
8:30 a.m.

January 31, 2007
Civil Liability Committee
MD Chamber of Commerce
60 West Street, Suite 100, Annapolis, MD 21401
10:15 a.m.

February 7, 2008
Health Care Committee
MD Chamber of Commerce
60 West Street, Suite 100, Annapolis, MD 21401
10:30 a.m.

Upcoming Chamber Events

January 30, 2008
Chamber 101
Sheraton Annapolis Hotel
173 Jennifer Rd.
Annapolis, MD 21401
8 a.m.
Whether you are a new member or an established member looking to get the most for your membership investment, attend Chamber 101 to find out how you can put your Chamber membership to work for you. The event is free, but registration is required. Contact Gail Lemke for details at glemke@mdchamber.org.

February 13, 2008
How to Succeed After SBA 8(a)
Greenbelt Marriott Hotel
6400 Ivy Lane
Greenbelt, MD 20770
7:30 a.m.
Henry Gilford will share his experiences and outline the good, the bad, and the ugly of how to succeed after the SBA 8(a) program. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from the SBA’s 2003 Small Business Person of the Year for the Washington metropolitan area.  Registration is $45. Contact Gail Lemke at
glemke@mdchamber.org.

February 19, 2008
Maryland Bioscience in the 21st Century?
1:30 p.m.
The Westin Annapolis
100 Westgate Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401
Join some of Maryland's top bioscience, business and venture capital experts to discuss the future of the bioscience industry in the Old Line State.

April 22, 2008
Annual Membership Meeting and
Business Hall of Fame Awards Dinner
Hyatt Regency Baltimore
300 Light Street,
Baltimore, MD 21202  
5:30 p.m.
Save the date. The Maryland Chamber's Annual Membership Meeting and Business Hall of Fame Dinner is a "must attend" event for the state's top CEOs, business executives and elected officials. More information coming soon.