State legislators may consider raising taxes — on porn. They say it’s the ultimate “sin” tax — placing a new 25 percent state tax on dirty magazines, x-rated videos, sex toys and any product from the pornography industry. Folks who buy that stuff today pay just the five percent sales tax. Representative Dick Taylor, a democrat from Cedar Rapids, started thinking about this when he drove along Interstate-80 and saw all the cars parked just off the highway at a new adult bookstore near Baxter. Taylor says he’s not on a crusade. Taylor does go to church, but doesn’t consider himself a “bible-thumper.” Taylor says it’s just a “fair tax on a business that makes excessive profits.” Taylor and his wife investigated a few “adult” businesses in the capitol city. Taylor says there were “all kinds of magazines in there. Most of them were in plastic.” He says the prices ran as high as 80 dollars. “Did you hear what I said? 80 dollars!” Thirty-six members of the Iowa House have already signed on to cosponsor the bill. It needs just 15 more supporters to pass the House. Taylor, though, isn’t sure it will become law. Taylor says republicans and quite a few democrats don’t want to vote for any tax increase this year. But Republican Representative Jamie Van Fossen of Davenport is chairman of the House Ways and Means tax-writing Committee, and he’s a cosponsor of the bill. Van Fossen says since “adult entertainment” like gambling is taxed at a rate that’s significantly higher than the state’s five percent sales tax, it stands to reason other forms of “adult entertainment” like pornography should be taxed at a higher rate, too. Van Fossen says a lot of money is spent on porn, and the proposal could garner lots of extra dough for the state. Van Fossen’s not sure how far the proposal could go in the Legislature, but he’s at least willing to let it be debated in his committee. No date’s been set for that debate, yet.
