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Should You Pay Tax When You Buy Online?

A bill to let states impose sales tax on big online retailers passed the U.S. Senate Monday. Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken voted for the Marketplace Fairness Act, as did many Republicans.

Why should online shoppers pay sales tax? Why or why not? Leave a comment below. You could pay the same sales tax for online purchases as you do for shopping at a physical store if a bill that passed the U.S. Senate Monday becomes law. The Marketplace Fairness Act would allow states to collect sales tax from retailers with more than $1 million in annual gross sales to out-of-state customers. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken (both DFL-MN) voted yes, joined by 67 other senators including 21 Republicans. Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans praised the Senate action in a press release: "This legislation levels the playing field for all those Main Street businesses in Minnesota and across the country. It also helps large retailers like…

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Nick

1:57 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013

Actually, a great number of online companies are small businesses here in America. Amazon Marketplace is mostly small businesses, and there is Ebay, as well as many, many small businesses that sell through their own websites. It is much easier for an entrepreneur to start an online business as opposed to a brick-and-mortar business because of the very low overhead and the dropshipping that they …   more ›

RECIPES: Ellison’s ‘Juicy Lucy Hotdish’ Can’t Win MN Delegation Hotdish Event

Rep. Tim Walz's 'Hermann the Germann Hotdish' won this year’s competition.

Fifth District Rep. Keith Ellison struck out yet again in the Third Annual Minnesota Delegation Hotdish Competition. Rep. Tim Walz's "Hermann the Germann Hotdish" won this year’s friendly “friendly, bipartisan, and bicameral ‘Hot Dish Off.’” The competition between Minnesota’s congressional delegation started in 2011 as a way to celebrate Minnesota before the session started. This year, Ellison entered a “Juicy Lucy Hotdish.” Sen. Al Franken cooked “Willmar Stew,” while Sen. Amy Klobuchar prepared “Hormel ‘I Can't Believe It's Not SPAM’ Pepperoni Pizza Hotdish” Check out the recipes from Ellison, Walz, Franken and Klobuchar below. Click here for recipes from all 10 of Minnesota’s legislators. Past winners *** Bring a pot of water to a boil…

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Threat to Klobuchar and Pelosi, Shotgun Outside Restaurant and House Fires: West Metro Police, Fire Report

A wrap-up of police, fire and court related news reported in the west metro for the week of Jan. 6-12, 2013, including a crime alert.

The following is a collection of articles that recently appeared on Patch sites in Eden Prairie, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and St. Michael for the week of Jan. 6-12, 2013 Click on the headline to read the full story. 

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Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota DFL Candidate for U.S. Senate

Incumbent DFLer Amy Klobuchar seeks her second term in the U.S. Senate.

Name: Amy Klobuchar Age: 52 Place of residence : Plymouth, MN Attended college : Yes College : Yale University Degree : B.A. College : University of Chicago Law School Degree : Juris Doctor Party affiliation : Democratic-Farmer-Labor Running for a: Federal office Running for position: United State Senator Chamber/district: State of Minnesota Incumbent: Yes Previous elective offices : Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006; elected as Hennepin County Attorney in 2002 and 1998  Website : http://www.amyklobuchar.com/  Twitter : http://twitter.com/amyklobuchar Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/amyklobuchar Editor's note: Used from amyklobuchar.com In 2006, Amy Klobuchar became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in Minnesota's history. As…

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Capitol Review

Rep. Slocum Chief Authors Three New House Bills

The Minnesota State Legislature is in session.

Editor's note: Capitol Review is a weekly look at what your state legislators are doing at the Minnesota Capitol—how they're voting, the bills they're writing and the issues they're getting behind. Come back to Richfield Patch every Monday for a new Capitol Review. While all of Richfield's representatives, including U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, made stops in town last week, they also worked on a variety of new bills as well. Here’s what happened this past week with bills authored or co-authored by Richfield's legislative representatives: House Rep. Linda Slocum (D-Richfield) House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (D-Minneapolis) State Sen. Ken Kelash (D-Richfield)

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