Arizona senator blocking bill that would save 350 jobs
Monday December 22, 2003
By ROBERT GEHRKE
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) An Arizona senator is blocking efforts to close a tax loophole that a major archery company says could force it to close its operations in Utah and send jobs overseas.
Easton Outdoors employs about 350 people in its Salt Lake City arrow operation, assembling arrow components and fletching attaching feathers to the arrow shafts.
Easton's complaint is that the federal government levies a 12.4 percent tax on the components it imports to Utah for assembly, while arrows assembled outside the United States and imported to the country are not taxed due to a loophole in the 1997 law. (snip)
(snip) The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, unanimously passed the House earlier this month, but failed to make it through the Senate because Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl blocked the measure. (snip)
(snip) ``Jon Kyl is the only one who's allowing the cheaters to continue to cheat,'' Watts said.
(snip/...)
http://kutv.com/utah/UT--ArrowTaxes-en/resources_news_html