Amazon Tax,  Internet Sales Taxes

California Legislators Push New Internet Sales Tax Bill to Thwart Amazon.com Referendum

What games the Democrats in the California Legislature play to impose or collect new taxes.

A group of California legislators plans to pass a new online sales tax bill in a move to thwart tax opponent Amazon.com.

Lawmakers today used a “gut-and-amend” procedure that takes an existing bill and substitutes an online sales tax measure. The bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee today.

In late June, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill requiring Amazon and other online retailers to begin collecting sales tax on California transactions. The bill passed on a regular, majority vote. Amazon has refused to collect the tax and launched a referendum to have it overturned.

But Larry Levin, a spokesman for Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Oakland, said the new legislation would be different. It would pass on a two-thirds supermajority and would carry an “urgency” clause. That means it can’t be subject to ballot referendum, Levin said.

I would urge my fellow Republicans in the California Legislature to BLOCK this tax increase on California taxpayers and allow the referendum process sort out the law.

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