Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation announced that it has urged the Senate to approve legislation that would help create jobs by making it quicker for citizens of Brazil, China and India to obtain visas needed to travel to the United States on business or to shop in U.S. stores.

SEATTLE — Amazon.com announced that it supports the federal bill introduced this morning by United States Senators Enzi, Durbin, and Alexander, that would create a constitutional framework for collecting sales tax online.

New York City -- Voters in the state of Washington on Tuesday approved a plan to privatize liquor sales, siding with Costco Wholesale Corp. in the costliest initiative campaign in state history, the Associated Press reported. The measure will end Washington's state-run liquor system, which was formed in the 1930s in the aftermath of Prohibition.

Deborah White was named EVP and general counsel at the Retail Industry Leaders Association to help the trade association's members cope with an increasingly challenging regulatory climate.

Secaucus, N.J. -- Syms Corp. said that its stock will be delisted as of November 15, 2011 and that Nasdaq will file a Form 25-NSE with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will remove the company’s securities from listing and registration on the Nasdaq.

This decision by Nasdaq comes following Syms announcement on November 2, 2011 that it and its subsidiaries filed petitions for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
 

New York City -- A truck driver who slipped and fell on ice and grease while he was making a delivery to a Walmart store in northern Colorado can collect a nearly $10 million award after the state Supreme Court upheld a jury verdict in the case on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

Indianapolis -- Shopping mall owner Simon Property Group said Friday it has filed a complaint against the State of Indiana in Marion County Circuit Court.

The suit is not for monetary damages but is a move to try and force the state to make Amazon.com collect sales tax in order to erase Amazon’s pricing advantage over brick-and-mortar retailers.
 

New York City -- A homeless man was charged with murder Thursday for a baseball bat attack on a 74-year-old Lakewood man in a Southern California Walmart, the Associated Press said.

Richard Lawrence Kalfin was charged with murder with a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon. He faces 57 years to life in prison if convicted and remained jailed on more than $1 million bail.