Nick Martin, a retired pro mountain bike racer turned entrepreneur and founder of The Pro's Closet, based in Boulder, Colorado, published an article in the Bicycle Retailer that argued the Senate passed Marketplace Fairness Act would be detrimental for small businesses across the country. Martin explains that nine years ago he started The Pro’s Closet, a small business that was only possible because of the Internet.

Andy Logan, a resident of Stillwater and owner of Performance Product Technologies, an online business based in Stillwater, recently penned an op-ed for the Stillwater News Press that argued the Marketplace Fairness Act would seriously hurt small businesses. The Senate passed Marketplace Fairness Act would force Internet enabled small businesses to become tax collectors for every state in the nation. In addition, it would make businesses vulnerable to audits from tax enforcement agents from states where the business is not even located.

Pictured from left to right: eBay VP Kevin Hurst, Rep. Jennifer Williamson and Senate Pro Tempore Ginny Burdick.

Last week Oregon Senate President Pro Tempore Ginny Burdick and House Representative Jennifer Williamson stopped by eBay Inc.'s downtown Portland office to discuss the company's expanding presence in the city with local VP Kevin Hurst. They also met with employees to answer questions and discuss their legislative priorities for the 2015 legislative session.

In a recent nationwide survey conducted by the Internet Association, data showed nearly 90 percent of respondents do not support wireless carriers creating fast and slow lanes for the Internet. In addition, more than two-thirds say that wireless Internet providers should not be able to block access to lawful websites and apps.

Last week, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) published a blog that warned of the threat of the Senate passed Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) moving after the midterm elections. Prior to leaving for the October recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) expressed his intention to use the post-election lame duck session to pass a bill that would require small Internet-enabled businesses to collect and remit sales taxes in every tax jurisdiction across the country. The Senate intends to use the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) as a vehicle to pass the MFA.

This week, Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer met with the eBay Inc. Government Relations team at headquarters to learn more about our business model and how our products are revolutionizing the way people shop and pay. The team was excited to take the Senator through eBay Inc.'s Innovation Showcase which illustrated how small- and medium-sized businesses throughout world are utilizing eBay Inc. technologies to grow their businesses and connect consumers to experiences and products they love.