September 26, 2000

The Honorable Byron L. Dorgan
United States Senate
SH-713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Dorgan:

We are writing to express our appreciation and support to you and the other cosponsors of S. 2775 for your tireless and continuing efforts to ensure that all retailers and all consumers enjoy a level playing field with regard to taxation of retail sales. Your work on behalf of state and local governments has been extraordinary. We want you to know that the nation's Governors very much support your efforts.

As we continue to work with you, we remain strongly committed to simplifying and streamlining our existing laws. We are making significant progress. Twenty-seven states are formally participating, along with thirteen observer states in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project, and we will be holding our first public hearing on September 29^th in Chicago on substantial recommendations the project has already adopted. Unless we continue to make progress on both the federal, state, and local fronts, we understand that current burdens and disparities will encourage a growing number of companies to avoid sales tax collection responsibilities. For these reasons, it is important that we resolve all the internet tax issues at one time. We appreciate your efforts to that end and want you to know that we support your position to continue to negotiate so that a comprehensive bill can be enacted in the next Congress.

We are grateful for your work, as well as that of your staff, and look forward to cooperating with you as your negotiations move forward. If we can provide additional information, please have your staff contact Frank Shafroth (202-624-5309).

Sincerely,

Signatures on file.