IS WASHINGTON LOOKING TO ADOPT THE SIMPLIFIED SALES-TAX LEGISLATION?
LOCKE: The project is still ongoing, and I cant comment on what the final product will be. Clearly, there needs to be tax simplification and greater consistency across the country. We dont want online retailers to have to know the tax rates of some 3,000 to 6,000 jurisdictions, and much more difficult than that, to know the varying definitions. Its one thing to have several thousand different tax rates; its another thing to have differences in what items and services are taxed from one jurisdiction to another: childrens clothing versus adult clothing versus outdoor gear. Q: CONGRESS IS CONSIDERING APPROXIMATELY 50 PRIVACY BILLS DEALING WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF E-COMMERCE AND HOW PERSONAL INFORMATION IS PROTECTED. SOME OF THOSE BILLS WOULD PREEMPT STATES RIGHTS TO CREATE THEIR OWN PRIVACY POLICIES WITH RESPECT TO ONLINE RETAILERS. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT STATES SHOULD BE ABLE TO SET THEIR OWN RULES? OR WOULD IT BE BETTER TO HAVE A FEDERAL FRAMEWORK PUT IN PLACE? LOCKE: The preference would be
