It's an election season and every politician's ready to promise tax cuts. This week, a key congressional panel agreed to extend the ban on Internet taxes -- a key driver of e-commerce and online business -- for another for years; but not before rejecting longer periods, including a proposed permanent ban.




The extension still needs to go to a final vote. The bill's next stop is the House floor. In committee, the vote broke down along party lines with Republicans supporting the extension -- and working for a longer one -- and Democrats trimming the years.

Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) repeatedly voted against the extended-ban proposals.

"The Internet is still growing; it's still an ever-expanding tool," Conyers said in defense of his voting choices. "So limiting the ability to revisit and re-examine the effects of the moratorium to a longer period will prevent industry, states and localities and consumers from reaping the true benefits of such rapidly expanding technology."

Umm, that certainly seems to also be a good argument for *extending* the ban, but maybe that's just us.

Internet companies, led by eBay, have been strongly lobbying to have the tax moratorium extended as long as possible.

Get the details at News.com