Ex Netscape chief steps down from US cyberpanel-Lott
By Vicky Stamas
WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate brass on
Tuesday announced a reshuffling of a blue-ribbon panel studying
Internet taxes, ending a two-month legal battle with the
nation's mayors and counties over the makeup of the group.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott said in a statement
that James Barksdale, the former top executive of Netscape
Communications Corp., had "graciously" stepped down from the
Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce.
Barksdale, who last month was named a member of the board
of America Online Inc. <AOL.N>, in the wake of his company's
merger with AOL, is replaced on the panel by Delna Jones,
county commissioner of Washington County, Ore., Lott said.
AOL chief Robert Pittman remains on the advisory
commission, created by Congress late last year to study what
taxes states and localities should be permitted to levy on the
goods and services sold over the Net.
Lott's action Tuesday cleared the way for the 19-member
commission, which also is studying national and international
access to the Net, to meet for the first time as scheduled June
21-22 in Williamsburg, Va.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors and National Association of
Counties had asked a federal district court early last month to
block the meeting on the grounds the commission was illegally
stacked with industry members.
But the counties group, claiming victory in its battle with
Congress, said Tuesday it would now withdraw the lawsuit, a
spokesman said.
Congress mandated the commission, which is to be chaired by
Virginia Governor James Gilmore, in the Internet Tax Freedom
Act of 1998.
The law bars new state and local taxes on the Internet for
three years while the panel studies the contentious issue.
The statute authorized Congress to appoint 16 of the 19
panel members -- eight from cyberindustry and consumer groups
and eight from states and localities.
But counties and mayors charged that Capitol Hill leaders
packed the panel with nine communication industry
representatives and only seven state and local government
groups.
Lott, a Republican from Mississippi, praised the outgoing
Barksdale for helping to bring the Internet to American homes
and businesses.
"I initially chose Jim Barksdale for his expertise in
starting up a new industrial marketplace, his understanding of
cybertechnology and his knowledge of the telecommunication
spectrum," Lott said.
"He and I agree, though, that the issues surrounding the
Internet are too important to let the commission's business be
delayed."
Lott welcomed Jones' "knowledge and perspective" to the
commission.
"Each layer of local government is now represented," he
said.
Lott noted that Oregon is a non-sales tax state, which
means that all state approaches to income and sales tax revenue
are now represented on the panel.
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