California Republicans, still smarting from their big midterm losses at the polls, are ridiculing a plan by Democratic-dominated state regulators to tax text messaging on all mobile phones-a proposal drawing fire from Silicon Valley's wireless industry and business groups.
Carl DeMaio, a conservative radio host who spearheaded the unsuccessful state ballot initiative to repeal the latest gas-tax increase, said the text-tax plan demonstrates to tech-savvy, liberal-leaning millennials across the state the length Democrats will go to find new tax revenues.
The tax won't likely be applied to each text message but instead as a flat surcharge that appears as another fee line on wireless bills.
The industry also said such a tax would put them at a competitive disadvantage with messaging services such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which would not be required to pay the tax.
On Wednesday, the FCC in a 3-1 decision agreed with the wireless industry, dealing a setback to the California texting tax proposal.
The ruling was aimed at protecting consumers from text-messaging spam but may also prevent California consumers from getting hit with the proposed new tax.
The Oakland, Calif.-based Greenlining Institute, a think-tank that promotes social equity for communities of color, continues to back the new tax.
https://freebeacon.com/politics/california-gop-pushes-back-plan-tax-texts/
Carl DeMaio, a conservative radio host who spearheaded the unsuccessful state ballot initiative to repeal the latest gas-tax increase, said the text-tax plan demonstrates to tech-savvy, liberal-leaning millennials across the state the length Democrats will go to find new tax revenues.
The tax won't likely be applied to each text message but instead as a flat surcharge that appears as another fee line on wireless bills.
The industry also said such a tax would put them at a competitive disadvantage with messaging services such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which would not be required to pay the tax.
On Wednesday, the FCC in a 3-1 decision agreed with the wireless industry, dealing a setback to the California texting tax proposal.
The ruling was aimed at protecting consumers from text-messaging spam but may also prevent California consumers from getting hit with the proposed new tax.
The Oakland, Calif.-based Greenlining Institute, a think-tank that promotes social equity for communities of color, continues to back the new tax.
https://freebeacon.com/politics/california-gop-pushes-back-plan-tax-texts/
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