Big Box Tax Narrowly Fails In Montana

1 August 2003 - 10:00am

A bill to tax large-scale retail stores draws surprisingly broad support.

In April, the Montana legislature narrowly defeated a bill to levy a tax on the revenue of big box retailers. Supporters said the measure was needed because big box retailers use state services, pay low wages, and siphon money out of Montana. "Few Montanans have overt sympathy for multi-billion dollar giants that extract large sums of money from the state's economy," wrote Rep. Michael Lange, a Republican from Billings, in an op-ed supporting the tax.

Source: New Rules Project, July 25, 2003
Bookmark and Share
These practices are also inequitable since they force non-drivers to subsidize parking costs, reduce travel options for non-drivers, and reduce housing affordability.