NASHIVLLE, Tenn. - The cloud of controversy surrounding Amazon.com's move to Tennessee could be getting even bigger. On Monday, Governor Bill Haslam weighed in.
The company is now proposing to build three more distribution centers, in either Nashville or Knoxville, but the debate rages on over its tax burden.
Governor Haslam said he's committed to making good on a promise he inherited from the previous administration. The promise said Amazon doesn't have to collect sales tax from Tennessee customers.
When asked whether that same deal would apply to any Amazon expansions, the governor said it's too early to make any guarantees.
"We really need to sit down and talk with Amazon and see what are they talking about. How many jobs, investments, and the overall impact to the state before we do anything about that," Haslam said.
Some lawmakers feel the original deal offered to Amazon will cost the state millions of dollars, and have proposed legislation that would force the company to pay local taxes.
The group 'Tennesseans for Fair Taxation' has put its support behind the push to repeal the Amazon deal.
"Amazon is kind of being a bully and saying we'll take our toys and go home if we don't get this special exemption and they've done that in some other states," according to Dick Williams with TFFT.
The organization estimated Amazon had $271 million in sales last year in Tennessee. If the state had collected sales tax, that amount would have been $25.6 million.
Williamson said he realizes the impact thousands of new jobs would have, and the possibility those jobs would disappear if Amazon does not get its deal.
"The immediate communities would suffer, we understand that, it's part of the trade off. But that's why we're hoping several states can take similar action," Williams explained.
His hope is if other states take a similar stance, companies like Amazon would not be able to run somewhere else when lawmakers say no to their proposals.
If that happens, Amazon said they won't build in Tennessee at all.
Hearings on the bill are expected to happen later this week.
An Amazon spokesperson said the proposed expansion would involve a $180-million investment and create 3,700 jobs within two years.
That would more than double the company's current deal in place to build near Chattanooga.
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