• Welcome – Gary Cohen – Government Affairs Committee Chair
• Bill Tracker - Robert Melvin
• VRLTA Legislative Reception and Day on the Hill Recap – Robert Melvin
• Upcoming Tourism Caucus Meeting - February 12 - Robert Melvin
• VRLTA Tipped Wage / Minimum Wage Advocacy Efforts - Robert Melvin/Eric Terry
• Phone 2 Action Advocacy Tool – Robert Melvin
• ABC Legislation and Regulations – Tom Lisk
• AHLA/AAHOA/NRA Updates – Eric Terry/ Chris Savvides/ Vinay Patel
• Other New Business

• According to the Tax Foundation, of the past 60 attempts to pass a meals taxes in counties in Virginia, 47 of those proposals at the county level have failed, with approximately 57% of the voters voting against the initiatives.
• Meals taxes are regressive. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, households with annual incomes of less than $30,000, spending on restaurant food represented 8.1 percent of their pre-tax income, or four full percentage points above the national average. This means that meals taxes have a disproportionately larger impact on lower income households who are less able to absorb the costs.
• The National Restaurant Association found that on an average check size of $15 to $25, the average number of local citizens impacted by meals taxes was 70%. For checks less than $8 the amount of local citizens paying a meals tax was 85%. Regardless of how many tourists pay the potential increase, all local citizens will be impacted by the new tax.
• Generally, when lodging taxes are imposed for the express intent of encouraging travelers to visit, it creates tangible economic benefits for the community as these dollars are reinvested into the hotel industry and tourism overall.
• Allowing counties to raise hotel taxes without requiring funding be dedicated to tourism promotion could harm the locality when it comes to attracting visitors.
• Tourism is Virginia’s 5th largest private sector employer and a $26 billion a year industry generating $1.8 billion in state and local taxes. It supports approximately 490,000 jobs in Virginia according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association and National Restaurant Association.
• Marketing and tourism promotion is not an expense, it’s an investment. According to data collected by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, every $1 generates $7 in tax revenue for Virginia.
• Allowing counties to impose any admissions tax rate they desire will increase the prices of tickets that consumers pay for sporting events, speaking engagements, movies, concerts, carnivals, circuses, and amusement parks.
• Substantial admissions taxes will keep artists and musicians from selecting venues in Virginia. Since many musicians make their living touring and no longer from CD and record sales, and if the ticket prices are too high and could depress turn out, the musician will skip that market altogether.
• Meals, lodging, and admissions taxes are discriminatory in nature. Singling out restaurants, hotels, and attractions as a method to generate funds to pay for general service needs will harm the businesses employees and consumers. 
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