tyler pipe industries dept revenue argued march decided june together national et al washington state department revenue also appeal washington imposes business occupation tax privilege engaging business activities state including manufacturing state making wholesale sales state measure wholesale tax gross proceeds sales measure manufacturing tax value manufactured product however tax multiple activities exemption local manufacturers exempted manufacturing tax portion output subject wholesale tax application exemption results local manufacturers paying wholesale tax local sales local manufacturers paying manufacturing tax sales manufacturers paying wholesale tax sales washington tax rate applicable wholesaling manufacturing activities cases review originated tax refund suits appellants local manufacturers sold goods outside washington manufacturers sold goods washington trial held multiple activities exemption discriminate interstate commerce violation commerce clause appellant tyler pipe industries tyler manufacturer sold products washington property employees washington whose solicitation business washington conducted independent contractor located washington also asserted business sufficient nexus washington justify collection tax wholesale sales trial upheld tax washington affirmed cases held washington manufacturing tax discriminates interstate commerce violation commerce clause operation multiple activities exemption tax assessed products manufactured washington sold customers exemption local manufacturers sell products within state facially discriminatory consequences west virginia tax exemption invalidated armco hardesty reasons invalidating tax case also apply washington tax facial unconstitutionality washington tax alleviated examining effect tax legislation determine whether specific interstate transactions subject multiple taxation washington imposition manufacturing tax local goods sold outside state saved valid compensating tax manufacturing wholesaling substantially equivalent events taxing manufacture goods sold outside state said compensate state inability impose wholesale tax goods henneford silas mason distinguished extent ruling inconsistent ruling general motors washington tax upheld claims unconstitutionally taxed unapportioned gross receipts bear reasonable relation taxpayer activities case overruled pp activities tyler sales representative washington adequately support state jurisdiction tax tyler wholesale sales customers showing sufficient nexus defeated argument taxpayer representative properly characterized independent contractor rather agent cf scripto carson merit tyler contention tax fairly apportion tax burden activities washington activities contention rests erroneous assumption tax washington taxing unitary activity manufacturing wholesaling manufacturing tax wholesaling tax compensating taxes substantially equivalent events thus activity wholesaling whether manufacturer must viewed separate activity conducted wholly within washington state jurisdiction tax pp appellee argument retroactive application adverse decision considered first instance washington remand cf bacchus imports dias pp stevens delivered opinion brennan white marshall blackmun joined part iv scalia joined filed concurring opinion post scalia filed opinion concurring part dissenting part part rehnquist joined post powell took part consideration decision cases neil argued cause appellant briefs peter turner michael young argued cause appellants briefs john piper franklin dinces william berggren collins assistant attorney general washington argued cause appellee cases brief kenneth eikenberry attorney general james tuttle leland johnson timothy malone assistant attorneys fn barrett prettyman john roberts filed brief amcord et al amici curiae urging reversal jean walker filed brief committee state taxation council state chambers commerce amicus curiae urging reversal cases benna ruth solomon mark rutzick filed brief national governors association et al amici curiae urging affirmance justice stevens delivered opinion armco hardesty held west virginia gross receipts tax business selling tangible property wholesale discriminated interstate commerce exempted local manufacturers principal question consolidated appeals whether washington manufacturing tax similarly violates commerce clause constitution assessed products manufactured within washington sold purchasers conclude reasons invalidating west virginia tax armco also apply washington tax challenged half century washington imposed business occupation tax act privilege engaging business activities state rev code tax applies activities extracting raw materials state manufacturing state making wholesale sales state making retail sales state state typically applied tax rates different activities measure selling tax gross proceeds sales measure manufacturing tax value manufactured products prior tax contained provision exempted persons subject either extraction tax manufacturing tax liability either wholesale tax retail tax products extracted manufactured state thus wholesale tax applied manufacturers local manufacturers washington held wholesale tax exemption local manufacturers discriminated interstate commerce therefore violated commerce clause federal constitution columbia steel state state rejected state argument taxpayer suffered discrimination interstate commerce proved paid manufacturing tax another state washington also dismissed state contention state good manufactured impose manufacturing tax seller good competitive advantage washington manufacturers situation obtaining another state immaterial must interpret statute passed legislature opinion statute marks discrimination interstate commerce levying tax upon wholesale activities engaged interstate commerce tax exemption contained levied upon perform taxable act manufacture state washington constitutionality tax challenged several occasions strenuously general motors washington case bare majority upheld tax justice brennan justice goldberg filed dissenting opinions bulk opinion devoted rejecting claims statute unconstitutionally taxed unapportioned gross receipts bear reasonable relation taxpayer activities end opinion declined reach argument tax imposed multiple tax burdens interstate transactions taxpayer failed demonstrate definite burden constitutional sense laws placed identical interstate shipments washington measures tax justice goldberg joined justice stewart justice white dissented burden interstate commerce dangers multiple taxation apparent face statute comparing current statute invalid predecessor dissent concluded amended provision seem essentially economic effect interstate sales advantage appearing nondiscriminatory today squarely address claim provision discriminates interstate commerce ii two appeals us first case commercial enterprises filed separate actions refunds taxes paid state thurston county superior joined actions found multiple activities exemption violate commerce clause granted state department revenue motion summary judgment second case tyler pipe industries tyler sought refund taxes paid years wholesaling activities washington superior upheld tax washington affirmed cases state concluded tax facially discriminatory rejected appellants arguments decision invalidating west virginia exemption local armco hardesty required tax invalidated state expressed view west virginia wholesale tax imposed manufacturers armco justified compensating tax substantial difference state tax rates manufacturing activities wholesaling activities west virginia provide reduction manufacturing tax manufactured goods sold state reduce tax goods partly manufactured state washington concluded requirement tax must might called internal consistency tax must applied every jurisdiction impermissible interference free trade armco dispositive merely relieved taxpayer burden proving tax already demonstrated facially discriminatory fact resulted multiple taxation washington also rejected taxpayers arguments tax fairly apportioned reflect amount business conducted state fairly related services rendered washington noted probable jurisdiction taxpayers appeals reverse part affirm part first consider claims taxpayers manufacturing facilities washington market products challenge directed fact manufacturing tax levied goods manufactured washington sold outside state consider tyler claims activities state washington sufficient subject state taxing jurisdiction tax fairly apportioned iii person subject washington wholesale tax item subject state manufacturing tax item statutory exemption manufacturers sell products within state facially discriminatory consequences west virginia exemption invalidated armco west virginia imposed gross receipts tax rate persons engaged business selling tangible property wholesale local manufacturers exempt tax paid manufacturing tax value products manufactured state even though local manufacturers bore higher tax burden dollars cents held exemption wholesale tax violated principle state may tax transaction incident heavily crosses state lines occurs entirely within state explaining tax discriminatory face expressly endorsed reasoning justice goldberg dissenting opinion general motors washington explained tax provides two companies selling tangible property wholesale west virginia treated differently depending whether taxpayer conducts manufacturing state thus property manufactured state tax sale imposed property manufactured state imported sale tax imposed sale price see general motors washington goldberg dissenting similar provision washington face discriminated interstate wholesale sales washington purchasers exempted intrastate sales locally made products taxing competing sales interstate sellers columbia steel state invalidating washington tax general motors controlling precedent already noted result case depend resolution whether tax burdened interstate commerce reason passing question taxpayer demonstrated definite burden constitutional sense tax imposed places identical shipments washington measures tax thus general motors decided required taxpayer prove specific interstate transactions subjected multiple taxation order advance claim discrimination see also standard pressed steel washington revenue rejecting commerce clause claim taxpayer made showing risk multiple taxation armco however categorically rejected requirement facial unconstitutionality washington gross receipts tax alleviated examining effect legislation enacted sister see moorman mfg bair also reject department contention state imposition manufacturing tax local goods sold outside state saved valid compensating tax noted maryland louisiana concept compensatory tax first requires identification burden state attempting compensate cases burden manufacturing tax exemption arguably compensatory state imposition wholesale tax local sales local manufacturers absent exemption local manufacturer might economic disadvantage pay manufacturing wholesale tax manufacturer afar pay wholesale tax state justification thus taxing manufacture goods interstate commerce however fails precedents local sales manufacturers also subject washington wholesale tax multiple activities exemption extend ostensible compensatory benefit manufacturers exemption thus merely erase tax incentive engage interstate commerce instead intrastate commerce affirmatively places interstate commerce disadvantage common theme running cases sustained compensating taxes qual treatment interstate commerce boston stock exchange state tax see also maryland louisiana boston stock exchange new york transfer tax securities transactions taxed transactions involving sale heavily transactions involving sale invalidated tax rejecting state claim compensatory legislation designed neutralize competitive advantage enjoyed stock exchanges outside new york concluded delivery transfer new york seller escape tax liability selling state substantially reduce liability selling state obvious effect tax extend financial advantage sales new york exchanges expense regional exchanges rather compensating new york supposed competitive disadvantage resulting amendment forecloses decisions creates advantage exchanges new york discriminatory burden commerce sister gross sales tax imposed armco deemed compensating tax manufacturing tax imposed west virginia competitors manufacturing wholesaling substantially equivalent events heavy tax manufacturers said compensate admittedly lighter burden placed wholesalers state manufacturing frequently entails selling state say portion manufacturing tax attributable manufacturing portion sales appellee also contends tax valid asserted similarities tax exemption system upheld state assessed use tax personal property used within state originally purchased elsewhere compensate burden sales tax placed similar property purchased within state see henneford silas mason appellee reliance henneford silas mason however aid cause case addressed use tax imposed state washington privilege using within state article tangible personal property tax apply use article tangible personal property sale use already taxed equal greater rate laws washington state upheld tax context overall tax structure burden placed goods purchased identical placed equivalent purchase within state identical impact fortuity guaranteed statutory exemption use tax goods sales tax already paid regardless whether sales tax paid washington another state explained halliburton oil well cementing reily conclusion inescapable equal treatment instate taxpayers similarly situated condition precedent valid use tax goods imported explained armco conclusion tax facially discriminates interstate commerce need confirmed examination tax burdens imposed appellee suggests require armco prove actual discriminatory impact pointing state imposes manufacturing tax results total burden higher imposed armco competitors west virginia test container america franchise tax board noted tax must might called internal consistency tax must applied every jurisdiction impermissible interference free trade case discussing requirement tax fairly apportioned reflect business conducted state similar rule applies allegation tax face discriminates interstate commerce tax unfairly apportions income form discrimination interstate commerce see also rule mean constitutionality west virginia tax laws depend shifting complexities tax codes validity taxes imposed taxpayer depend particular operated omitted iv holding washington tax exemption local violates commerce clause disposes issues raised appellants national manufacture goods washington sell outside state well claim discrimination asserted appellants manufacture goods outside washington sell within state compliance holding discrimination issue however necessarily preclude continued assessment wholesaling tax either repeal manufacturing tax expansion multiple activities exemption provide manufacturers credit manufacturing taxes paid presumably cure discrimination must therefore also consider alternative challenge wholesale tax advanced tyler appellants manufacture products outside washington sale state tyler seeks refund wholesale taxes paid sales customers washington period january september products manufactured outside washington tyler argues business sufficient nexus state washington justify collection gross receipts tax sales tyler sells large volume cast iron pressure plastic pipe fittings drainage products washington products manufactured tyler maintains office owns property employees residing state washington solicitation business washington directed executives maintain offices independent contractor located seattle trial found sales representative engaged substantial activities helped tyler establish maintain market washington state concluded findings supported evidence summarized follows sales representatives acted daily behalf tyler pipe calling customers soliciting orders valuable relationships tyler pipe customers sales contacts representatives maintain improve name recognition market share goodwill individual customer relations tyler pipe tyler pipe sells competitive market washington sales representatives provide tyler pipe virtually information regarding washington market including product performance competing products pricing market conditions trends existing upcoming construction products customer financial liability critical information local nature concerning tyler pipe washington market sales representatives washington helped tyler pipe special relationship corporation activities tyler pipe agents washington substantial washington determined crucial factor governing nexus whether activities performed state behalf taxpayer significantly associated taxpayer ability establish maintain market state sales found standard satisfied tyler sales representatives perform local activities necessary maintenance tyler pipe market protection interests agree activities tyler sales representatives adequately support state jurisdiction impose wholesale tax tyler tyler also asserts tax fairly apportion tax burden activities washington activities see complete auto transit brady washington taxes full value receipts wholesaling manufacturing thus manufacturer selling washington subject unapportioned wholesale tax even though value wholesale transaction partly attributable manufacturing activity carried another state plainly jurisdiction tax activity apportionment argument rests erroneous assumption tax washington taxing unitary activity manufacturing wholesaling already determined however manufacturing tax wholesaling tax compensating taxes substantially equivalent events invalidating multiple activities exemption thus activity wholesaling whether manufacturer must viewed separate activity conducted wholly within washington state jurisdiction tax see moorman mfg bair gross receipts tax sales customers within state plainly valid standard pressed steel washington revenue selling tax measured gross proceeds sales apportioned exactly activities taxed department revenue argues adverse decision cases applied retroactively taxes issue assessed prior opinion armco holding case clearly foreshadowed earlier opinions see chevron oil huson factors consider deciding whether impose decision prospectively state argument similar argument advanced state hawaii bacchus imports dias state urged invalidated tax issue require payment refunds taxpayers resolve merits issue concluding take upon complex area state tax structures determine apply holding refund issues essentially issues remedy imposition tax unconstitutionally discriminated interstate commerce addressed state courts also federal constitutional issues involved may well intertwined consideration obviated issues state law also resolution issues required may necessitate record far made case reluctant therefore address first instance accordingly reverse judgment hawaii remand proceedings inconsistent opinion omitted vi hold washington multiple activities exemption invalid places tax burden upon manufacturers washington engaged interstate commerce local manufacturers selling locally exempt reject appellant tyler nexus fair apportionment challenges state wholesale tax partial invalidation state taxing scheme raises remedial issues better addressed state remand accordingly vacate judgments washington remand proceedings inconsistent opinion ordered footnotes statute provided every person engaging activities within purview provisions two paragraphs section shall taxable paragraph applicable activities engaged provided however persons taxable paragraphs said section shall taxable paragraphs said section respect making sales retail wholesale products extracted manufactured within state persons italics see columbia steel state immunities implicit commerce clause potential taxing power state hardly made depend world practical affairs shifting incidence varying tax laws various particular moment courts possessed instruments determination delicate enable weigh various factors complicated economic setting isolated application state tax might mitigate obvious burden generally created direct tax commerce quoting freeman hewit washington upheld revised scheme constitutional challenge goodrich state cert denied multiple activities exemption provides person engaged activities within purview provisions two sections rcw inclusive shall taxable paragraph applicable activities engaged persons taxable rcw tax retailers tax wholesalers distributors shall taxable rcw tax extractors tax manufacturers subsection rcw tax certain food processing activities respect extracting manufacturing products sold persons taxable rcw rcw subsection shall taxable rcw respect extracting ingredients products manufactured rev code see goodrich state supra general motors washington standard pressed steel washington dept revenue chicago bridge iron washington dept revenue appeal dism justice goldberg explained functional equivalency commerce clause purposes invalidated statute successor burden interstate commerce dangers multiple taxation made apparent considering washington tax provisions washington provision involved tax wholesalers provides every person engaging within state business making sales wholesale shall pay tax business equal gross proceeds sales business multiplied rate one per cent rev code laws chapter washington imposes tax manufacturers similarly provides every person engaging within state business manufacturer shall pay tax business equal value products manufactured multiplied rate one per cent rev code laws provision entitled persons taxable multiple activities statute endeavors insure local washington products subjected tax manufacturers tax wholesalers rev code laws prior amendment exemptive terms multiple activities provision designed washington pay manufacturing tax exempt wholesale tax provision face discriminated interstate wholesale sales washington purchasers exempted intrastate sales locally made products taxing competing sales interstate sellers however multiple activities provision amended reversing tax exemption washington first subjected wholesale tax extent taxed thereunder exempted manufacturing tax rev code laws special session see mcdonnell mcdonnell state amended provision seem essentially economic effect interstate sales advantage appearing nondiscriminatory general motors washington dissenting opinion armco hardesty quoted approval following sentence opinion freeman hewit immunities implicit commerce clause potential taxing power state hardly made depend world practical affairs shifting incidence varying tax laws various particular moment see may tax justified attempt compensate state inability impose similar burden manufacturers whose goods sold washington washington subjects sales wholesale tax many provide tax credits alleviate eliminate potential multiple taxation results two sovereigns jurisdiction tax parts chain commercial events example district columbia three sales use taxes provide credit use taxes sales taxes paid another state although reciprocity may required see cch state tax guide williams vermont see also halliburton oil well cementing reily opinion henneford silas mason justice cardozo carefully described relationship tax retail sales imposed title iii washington tax code compensating tax imposed title iv privilege use compensating use tax imposed use article tangible personal property purchased retail subjected sales tax equal excess imposed state washington rate tax imposed another jurisdiction less rate compensating tax measured difference explaining compensating tax discriminate interstate commerce justice cardozo wrote equality theme runs sections statute shall tax upon use subject offset another use sales tax paid thing true offsetting tax became payable washington reason purchase use within state true exactly measure offsetting tax paid another state reason use purchase one uses property washington buying retail exempt tax upon privilege enjoyment except extent paid use sales tax somewhere every one paid use sales tax anywhere accurately state extent exempt payment another tax washington account made stranger afar subject greater burdens consequence ownership dweller within gates one pays upon one activity incident upon another sum reckoning closed emphasis added even solitary dissenting opinion armco case question proposition constitutionality west virginia tax properly discerned merely referring text tax statute plain west virginia tax unconstitutionally discriminatory levied tax manufacturing taxed manufacturing lower rate wholesaling wholesaler paying higher tax rehnquist dissenting view holding discrimination issue need reach claim local state manufacturers selling interstate markets tax scheme fairly apportion tax liabilities washington justice concurring join opinion holding light facially discriminatory nature multiple activities exemption ante see maryland louisiana washington taxpayers need prove actual discriminatory impact examination tax burdens imposed ante read decision extending internal consistency test described armco hardesty taxes facially discriminatory contra post scalia concurring part dissenting part agree result cases see american trucking scheiner post dissenting justice scalia chief justice joins part concurring part dissenting part join part iv opinion upholding washington unapportioned wholesale tax rejecting tyler pipe claim sufficient nexus washington give state taxing jurisdiction dissent however remainder opinion invalidating state manufacturing tax unconstitutionally discriminatory commerce clause standard discrimination adopted drastically limits discretion structure tax systems basis constitution required past decisions implicitly cases ante explicitly american trucking scheiner post imposes state taxes requirement internal consistency demanding applied every jurisdiction impermissible interference free trade armco hardesty quoting container america franchise tax board clear reasons given ante washington business occupation tax fails test unapportioned flat tax multistate activities axle tax marker fee issue scheiner post equally clear however internal consistency principle nowhere found constitution plainly required prior decisions indeed order apply internal consistency rule case compelled overrule rather lengthy list prior decisions hinson lott wall general motors washington including made explicit scheiner post capitol greyhound lines brice aero mayflower transit board railroad aero mayflower transit georgia public service moreover must implicitly repudiate approval given dicta years ago new york transfer tax securities see boston stock exchange state tax finally noted two terms ago one term armco supra decided never held state must credit sales tax paid another state use tax williams vermont see southern pacific gallagher applied internal consistency rule time need credit followed matter mathematical necessity presumed basis creating rule years adoption constitution reasoning armco requires see scheiner post view however reasoning dictum explicitly reject one insists viewing holding thus conflicting decades precedents upholding internally inconsistent state taxes seems armco rather numerous precedents overruled prior armco internal consistency test applied cases involving apportionment net income businesses one state sought tax issue container see case cited armco support internal consistency rule see reason automatically require internal consistency contexts business course earn net income one state total amount income unitary figure hence one state taxing jurisdiction multistate enterprise inconsistent apportionment scheme result taxation firm net income however tax assessed unitary income discrete events sale manufacture delivery occur single state different apportionment principle applicable simply unitary figure event apportion traditionally applied internal consistency test outside apportionment context amply demonstrated lengthy list cases openly tacitly overrule scheiner possible read armco requiring test contexts assuredly necessary armco dealt west virginia selling tax manufacturing tax exemption selling tax manufacturers discussed internal consistency taxing scheme finding selling tax discriminatory face tax provides two companies selling tangible property wholesale west virginia treated differently depending whether taxpayer conducts manufacturing state ibid combined finding selling tax imposed producers deemed compensate higher manufacturing tax imposed west virginia enough invalidate tax went address internal consistency rule response state argument taxpayer shown actual discriminatory impact pointing state imposes manufacturing tax results total burden higher imposed armco competitors west virginia reciting internal consistency principle applicable apportionment cases said similar rule applies allegation tax face discriminates interstate commerce regardless shifting complexities tax codes holding armco thus establishes facially discriminatory taxing scheme internally consistent saved claim fact adverse impact interstate commerce occurred expand brief discussion holding internal consistency always required thereby revolutionize law state taxation remarkable rather use isolated language written evident consideration potential significance adopted general rule overturn lengthy list settled decisions one think instead use settled decisions limit scope isolated language cases past terms indicate internal consistency test invalidates host taxing methods long relied upon left unhampered congress already shaky ground invoke commerce clause check state legislation see part ii infra requiring us develop rules unconstrained text constitution prudence counsels favor least intrusive rule possible applying traditional tests washington tax valid facially discriminatory unlike west virginia tax armco washington selling tax imposed goods whether produced manufacturing tax imposed manufacturers discrimination present possible state relieve local burden double taxation declining assess manufacturing tax local businesses respect goods selling tax paid arrangement notwithstanding nondiscriminatory appearance discriminatory effects manufacturer selling pays one tax washington manufacturer selling pays one tax washington manufacturer selling pays one tax washington state collects tax whether interstate intrastate commerce involved tax considered discriminatory effects one consults fact inquiry appeals one ante unless one adopts assumption latter course internal consistency rule adopts assuming purposes commerce clause determination tax tax scrutiny noted earlier see basis assumption tradition cases see little basis logic well specifically see reason fact adopting similar tax might cause washington tax discriminatory effect interstate commerce significance fact adopting dissimilar tax might produce result latter course suffice invalidate tax take simplest example tax manufacturing without tax wholesaling discriminatory effect upon interstate commerce another state adopts tax wholesaling without tax manufacturing company manufacturing selling former state pay single tax company manufacturing former state selling latter state pay two taxes objection raised armco replied unlike situation armco result arise impermissible discrimination interstate commerce response possible west virginia tax facially discriminatory possible washington tax seems adhere long tradition judging state taxes terms even less justification striking basis assumptions might striking basis fact washington tax plainly lawful may well impose similar taxes increase burden businesses operating interstate may well impose dissimilar taxes effect framers gave congress power regulate interstate commerce evaluating state taxing scheme gives power eliminate evident discrimination time leaving appropriate degree freedom structure revenue measures finer tuning congress ii think particularly inappropriate leap restrictive internal consistency rule since platform launch leap unstable structure takes opinions term number prior decisions explicitly implicitly overrule demonstrate practical results educed negative commerce clause form rock quagmire northwestern portland cement minnesota recent liquefaction fact years since doctrine negative commerce clause formally adopted holding see case state freight tax wall years prior alluded various dicta see cooley board wardens gibbons ogden wheat johnson concurring judgment applications doctrine put fine point matter made sense see generally currie constitution first hundred years pp uncertainty application attributable small part lack clear theoretical underpinning judicial enforcement commerce clause text clause congress shall power regulate commerce foreign nations among several indian tribes art cl face charter congress courts ensure area trade free interference boston stock exchange state legislation automatically follow course grant power congress regulate interstate commerce exclusive charles pinckney draft constitution provided see abel commerce clause constitutional convention contemporary comment rev john marshall one point seemed believe see gibbons ogden supra however unlike district clause empowers congress exercise exclusive legislation art cl language commerce clause gives indication exclusivity see license cases opinion taney one assume generally congress article powers exclusive many plainly coexist concurrent authority see kewanee oil bicron patent power goldstein california copyright power houston moore wheat jurisdiction militia sturges crowninshield wheat bankruptcy power furthermore correlative denial power commerce art example power coin money make treaties congress assumed date ratification least state laws regulating commerce valid see license cases supra exclusivity rationale infinitely less attractive today know interstate commerce embraces activities growing wheat home consumption wickard filburn local loan sharking perez difficult imagine state activity survive exclusive commerce clause imagine precluded another approach theoretical justification judicial enforcement commerce clause assert justice curtis dicta cooley board wardens supra hatever subjects power nature national admit one uniform system plan regulation may justly said nature require exclusive legislation congress perhaps wise rule adopt though hard see judges rather legislators fit determine areas commerce nature require national regulation misfortune finding conceivable basis text commerce clause treats commerce among several unitary subject attempting limit clause effect state laws intended regulate commerce opposed intended example promote health see gibbons ogden supra perhaps textually possible construction phrase regulate commerce unlikely one distinguishing laws purpose regulating commerce police power statutes effect taney demonstrated license cases supra interesting metaphysical exercise useful practical technique marking powers separate sovereigns least plausible theoretical justification idea enforcing negative commerce clause applying constitutional command merely interpreting congress whose silence certain fields interstate commerce others taken prohibition regulation conceivable reason congressional inaction commerce clause deemed effect elsewhere accorded congressional action elsewhere congress silence silence alaska airlines brock see currie supra noting recurring fallacy undefined cases congressional inaction treated permissive prohibitory legislation though constitution makes clear congress act affirmative vote houses footnotes omitted historical record provides grounds reading commerce clause says authorization congress regulate commerce strongest evidence favor negative commerce clause version renders federal authority interstate commerce exclusive madison comment convention whether restrained laying tonnage duties depends extent power regulate commerce terms vague seem exclude power farrand records federal convention comment however came discussion became art cl state shall without consent congress lay duty tonnage fact difficult conceive power regulate commerce include power impose duties fact despite apparent coverage convention went adopt provision prohibiting levying duties tonnage without congressional approval suggest madison assumption exclusivity federal commerce power ill considered generally shared mere shadow historical support overwhelming reality commerce clause broad outlines major subject controversy neither constitutional debates ratifying conventions instead nearly universal agreement federal government given power regulating commerce abel much form provided records disclose constructive criticisms commerce clause proposed frankfurter commerce clause marshall taney waite federalist madison hamilton wrote numerous discourses virtues free trade need uniformity national control commercial regulation see federalist pp rossiter ed pp pp pp said little substance specifically commerce clause little addressed primarily foreign indian trade see generally abel supra madison seem exaggerated described commerce clause addition powers national government oppose apprehensions entertained federalist think beyond question many apprehensions entertained supporters constitution hinted commerce clause despite language gave power since assumed justice frankfurter pungently put doctrine state authority must subject limitations finds necessary apply protection national community audacious doctrine one may sure hardly publicly avowed support adoption constitution frankfurter supra sum extent gone beyond guarding rank discrimination citizens regulated commerce clause privileges immunities clause art iv cl citizens state shall entitled privileges immunities citizens several century engaged enterprise unable justify textual support even coherent nontextual theory almost certainly intended undertake undertaken well astonishing expanding beachhead impoverished territory rather satisfied already acquired sort intellectual adverse possession majority finds washington manufacturing tax exemption local wholesalers discriminatory excludes similarly situated manufacturers wholesalers conduct one activities within washington activity outside state ante exclusion however deemed facially discriminatory one assumes every state taxing scheme identical washington new york statute taxed inter alia sale delivery securities either event occurred new york imposed one tax events occurred state invalidated discriminatory amendment law reducing tax sales nonresidents placing cap tax payable transactions involving sales also declared statute prior amendment neutral sales plainly true internal consistency requirement neutrality assuming new york scheme sale delivery took place new york single tax sale took place new york delivery new jersey double taxation professor currie discussion commerce clause decisions marshall taney courts summed assessment leading taney decision taken cooley board wardens may appear arbitrary conclusory irreconcilable constitutional text nevertheless anyone slogged augean agglomeration preceding curtis labors must find scarcely less impressive old currie constitution first hundred years concludes discussion chase commerce clause jurisprudence noting doctrinal terms efforts field described disaster omitted waite receives following testimonial relief bowman decision bowman chicago northwestern reached end commerce clause decisions waite period make elevating reading omitted future commentators likely treat recent eras much tenderly unfortunately legislation inaction theory negative commerce clause seems basis doctrine relied upon scheiner post congress authorize enact legislation otherwise violate negative commerce clause see prudential ins benjamin nothing else explain benjamin principle invalid state action rendered valid state action congressional consent surely area congress permit violate constitution thus cooley board wardens justice curtis occurred theory congressional legislation inaction wrote relationship negative commerce clause follows divested power legislate subject grant commercial power congress plain act confer upon power thus legislate constitution excluded making law regulating commerce certainly congress regrant manner reconvey power