Washington Retail executives shared their hopes in an online article that the Legislature refrain from adding new expenses on retailers when members convene for the 2021 session on Monday.
Senior VP of Policy & Government Affairs Mark Johnson urged lawmakers to hold down expected increases in unemployment insurance premiums and refrain from approving a host of new tax proposals that will only threaten the livelihoods of retailers struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. He also urged the Legislature to delay a ban on plastic shopping bags due to a shortage of supply.
“My small business owners are mortgaging their home a second time to pay their rent (and) trying to keep employees on the payroll,” Johnson said. “Don’t forget the brick-and-mortar little guys – they’re dangling by a thread.”
CEO Renée Sunde added a statement about the host of challenges retailers encountered through most of last year.
“2020 has been a challenging year for the retail industry marked by historical events, business closures, changing consumer demands, endless guidelines and restrictions and unforeseen changes to work and family life,” she said.
