Strong opposition to a proposed corporate income tax that was targeted at large-box stores will likely die this session without a vote. After a lot of opposition, the bill started to lose support in the Senate.
During a final hearing on the bill, Senate Corporations Chairman Bill Landen said the state has cut a lot of spending and probably needs new revenue to keep offering more services. He praised bill sponsor Representative Jerry Obermueller for bringing the bill and then announced that there would not be a vote on the measure.
"I think it's good work and I support it. But…knowing the fate that this bill faces across the hall…I'm not going to ask for a motion on the bill tonight," said Landen.
Earlier, Lander Senator Cale Case, usually a staunch opponent of taxes, argued for the bill saying that out of state companies have sucked the life out of main street Wyoming.
Supporters say the tax could have generated $45 million in revenue, but it also would have had a price tag of over ten million to start and required additional money to maintain. The bill had easily passed the House and a number of representatives were clearly upset following the hearing.