Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton backs tax break for efficient appliances

From an article by Judith Davidoff in The Capital Times:

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton wants to give consumers a break -- a sales tax break, to be more precise -- for buying energy-efficient refrigerators, dishwashers and other appliances.

Lawton held a news conference this morning at Brothers Main Appliance and TV on Stoughton Road announcing legislation she has drafted that would establish an annual one-week "energy tax holiday" during which Wisconsin residents could avoid paying taxes on Energy Star appliances.

Energy Star is a federal designation for energy-efficient appliances; the program was introduced in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency.

To be eligible for Lawton's weeklong tax break, which would start the Saturday in April before Earth Day, the appliances would have to cost $1,500 or less and be used in a residence. Contractors would not be eligible for the discount.

Lawton said the bill, which would not go into effect until at least April 2009, would save consumers money both at the store and on their utility bills, reduce harmful carbon emissions and stimulate the economy. She said the proposal has been received favorably by both the Sierra Club and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and has support from both sides of the aisle, with co-sponsors Rep. Pat Strachota, R-West Bend, and Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona.

Cleat Killgallon, owner and chief operating officer of Brothers Main, which operates two stores in Madison and one in Janesville, is ecstatic about the proposal.

"I just wish we could do it this year," he said this morning in an interview. "I think it's fantastic."

The tax holiday would apply to not only the state's 5 percent sales tax, but also to local sales taxes like Dane County's 0.5 percent.