Legislature looks at tax break for internet companies

Telecommunications companies which bring high-speed Internet access to rural Iowa may get a tax break. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has approved a bill which would let companies buy “central exchange” equipment, sales-tax-free.Senator JoAnn Johnston, a republican from Adel, says it will be an incentive, as the equipment is quite expensive.Johnson says most rural Iowans lack high-speed access to the Internet because their local phone exchanges have antiquated equipment.The bill faces an uncertain future, though, as House leaders say this particular tax cut isn’t one of their priorities.