Free Talk Live

SACRAMENTO — The days of most tax-free Internet shopping in California are over.

After years of controversy, the world's largest online retailer, Amazon.com Inc., was set to begin collecting state and local sales taxes on California purchases at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Depending on where you live, sales taxes in the state range from 7.25% to 9.75%.

A photo of two Democratic legislators playing solitaire has ignited controversy at the state Capitol and in the blogosphere.

The Associated Press picture has appeared in any number of venues, and it shows two lawmakers sitting in the back row of the historic Hall of the House in Hartford during the lengthy debate over the two-year, $37 billion state budget.

Reporting from Sacramento — State lawmakers hunting for revenue are eyeing one source that could prove costly to millions of California consumers: Amazon .com.

A Louisiana church was ordered to stop giving away free water along Mardi Gras parade routes because they did not have the proper permits.
“We were given a cease and desist order,” said Matt Tipton, pastor of Hope Church in Metairie, LA. “We had no idea we were breaking the law.”

A bill now being considered for approval by the California State Senate could cost families and people who hire others to help around the house. Called the "Domestic Workers Bill of Rights", the point of the bill is to "extend basic, humane labor protections to thousands of nannies, caregivers, and housecleaners. This legislation helps us to bring a critical workforce out of the shadows and into the light of day."
[No word on the estimated amount of "tax revenue" would be collected.]

Ron Paul Storms To Victory In Minnesota Delegate Race

Supporters take full control of GOP in North Star State

Presidential candidate Ron Paul swept the board at the Minnesota State convention this past weekend, winning 12 of the 13 delegates to the Republican National Convention and effectively taking complete control of the party in the state.

Congressman Paul would have won all of the open delegate slots, for the fact that the 13th went to former presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, only after a Paul supporter withdrew his name from the ballot.

Like many laws passed by the legislature in Sacramento, California's ban on texting while driving has been ... not so effective. The Automobile Club of Southern California on Wednesday announced that texting by Golden State drivers has nearly doubled since the rule went into effect 19 months ago. Young women (4.3 percent of them text while behind the wheel) were the worst offenders, according to the AAA.

Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone apparently thinks so, after proposing that the county lead a campaign for as many as 13 Southern California counties to secede from the state.Stone said in a statement late Thursday that Riverside, Imperial, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, Kings, Kern, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa and Mono counties should form the new state of South California.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered about 200,000 state workers to be paid the federal minimum wage because the state Legislature has not passed a budget.

Department of Personnel Administration Director Debbie Endsley sent the order Thursday in a letter to the state controller. Most state employees will be paid the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour for the July pay period.