Overnight Tech: Seattle passes bill to let Uber drivers unionize

by Mario Trujillo and David McCabe - 12/14/15 6:34 PM ET

LEDE: The Seattle City Council unanimously signed off on a measure that gives collective bargaining rights to drivers-for-hire in the city, including those who work for companies like Uber and Lyft. The bill still needs to be signed by the mayor. If it stands up to possible court challenges and is replicated elsewhere, it could significantly shift the dynamics of the on-demand economy. It is also likely to be seen as a bellwether for the future of organizing for independent contractors in general.

INTERNET TAX BAN FACES HURDLE: Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) signaled Monday that proponents of a permanent ban on state taxes of Internet access should be worried.

Durbin’s office said he has the votes to strip the tax ban out of a broader customs enforcement package, which was unveiled last week and passed the House Friday. Critics could raise a point of order that new language was added to the report in the form of the permanent ban and move to strip it. It takes 60 votes to waive that point of order and keep the language in the bill, but Durbin says he has enough votes to pull the tax ban out.

{mosads}”Senator Durbin is working with his Republican colleagues and they have the votes to defeat a motion to waive the point of order with broad Democratic support,” a Durbin aide said.

A number of critics, from retailers to state legislatures and governors, have raised concerns about passing the permanent ban. In the past, they have tried to use the permanent ban as a vehicle for more controversial legislation that would give states authority to collect sales tax when their residents make online purchases from an out-of-state retailer.

No vote has been scheduled as of Monday afternoon.

WARNINGS RAISED: Supporters of the permanent ban have raised warnings in recent days about some senators trying to strip out the provision. Major trade groups representing Internet service providers sent a letter to lawmakers Monday urging them to keep the provision in place.

The customs enforcement conference report was unveiled last week with support from a number of Democratic negotiators, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Other high-ranking senators that were part of negotiations included Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate.

TECH ASSOCIATION HEAD ENDORSES RUBIO: Gary Shapiro, head of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Monday for the GOP presidential nomination, calling the Florida Republican the “Uber candidate.” The endorsement comes a day ahead of the GOP primary debate in Las Vegas. CTA hosts the Consumer Electronics Show every year in the city, which attracts more than 150,000 people.

ETHICS COMMITTEE CLEARS POLIS: The Hill’s Cristina Marcos reported the House Ethics Committee dismissed allegations against Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) for alleged improper endorsements of a video game and a menswear company in his district. Polis had appeared in a video produced by Riot Games, the developer of the “League of Legends” video game, and also publicized and participated in an event with Ninox Designs, a menswear company in his Boulder-area district.

FTC CHAIR GETS ANOTHER NOMINATION: The White House on Monday officially sent the renomination of Edith Ramirez to the Senate for another term at the Federal Trade Commission. Ramirez, who has been chairwoman of the agency since 2013, was initially appointed in 2010. Her term technically expired in September. There is still one vacant seat on the commission after Joshua Wright left earlier this year.

GROUP KEEPS PRESSURE ON FCC OVER TV BOXES: A tech trade group is trying to drum up public support to pressure the FCC to create greater competition in the TV set top box market. The Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents groups like Tivo, announced the launch of a website — consumervideochoice.org — that promotes their cause. “Consumers pay way too much to lease set-top boxes from their pay-TV provider. For consumers, competition in the retail set-top box marketplace would lower costs, give them more options for buying their own devices, and encourage them to discover content from independent programmers,” CCIA president Ed Black said in a statement.

GOOGLE CEO VISITS INDIA: Sundar Pichai, the India-born CEO of Google, will visit the country this week as the company looks to expand its business interests there. He’ll meet with software developers to talk to them about Google’s services. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the software giant earlier this year.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

A major tech lobby backed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on Monday, lending its support to the sweeping trade deal ahead of a difficult battle in Congress.

Critics are threatening to sue the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over its new requirement that drone users pay a fee and register their devices with the federal government.

The broadband Internet industry says a long-term ban on state taxation of Internet access is needed more than ever because of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) net neutrality rules.

On-demand economy companies like Uber and Lyft appear increasingly likely to avoid an intervention from Washington in the near future targeted at changing the way they treat their workforce.

At least seven states are expected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue when a permanent tax ban on Internet access closes off a loophole they have relied upon for more than a decade.

Please send tips and comments to David McCabe, dmccabe@digital-staging.thehill.com and Mario Trujillo, mtrujillo@digital-staging.thehill.com