Online sales tax bill provides shelter to big businesses, more cash for governments

By   /  May 9, 2013  /  National, News, Senate  /  7 Comments

ALL SMILES: Amazon.com might be smiling about the new online sales tax passed by the U.S. Senate, but it's bad news for taxpayers.

By Eric Boehm | Watchdog.org
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A push for online sales tax “fairness” is more about protectionism than equal protection.
Some have drawn that conclusion from after the U.S. Senate OK’d of the Marketplace Fairness Act earlier this week.  The bill — if it becomes law — would allow states to collect sales taxes from online transactions, even if [...]

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Is George McGovern the tea party’s answer to a GOP civil war?

By   /  March 1, 2013  /  Featured, Federal Government, National, News, Politics, Politics & Elections, Senate, U.S. House of Represenatives, U.S. Senate  /  1 Comment

McGovern

By Carten Cordell │ Watchdog.org
ALEXANDRIA — What was once a minor fissure in the GOP has expanded into a major ideological fault line, dividing the party from its upstart tea party faction.
Political strategist Karl Rove fanned the flames this month by announcing his creation of the Conservative Victory Project, a fundraising group designed to protect [...]

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Schultz plays familiar role as WI Republican dissenter

By   /  February 20, 2013  /  Assembly, Children, Education, Featured, Governor, Legislature, News, Politics, school choice, Senate, State Budgets, State Senate, Wisconsin  /  3 Comments

State Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, stands in opposition to Gov. Scott Walker's school choice proposal, but this time he's joined by fellow Republicans.

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON – Dale Schultz is no stranger to the role of dissenting voice.
While the Richland Center Republican has voted with his party the vast majority of his 30 years in the Legislature, he’s played the role of maverick on more than a few key occasions.
Schultz stood alone, the sole Senate [...]

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WI Mining meeting or Bob Jauch Show?

By   /  February 6, 2013  /  economic development, Environment, Featured, Legislature, Mining Wisconsin, News, Regulations, Regulatory Reform, Senate, State Budgets, State Government, State Politics, Taxes, Wisconsin  /  1 Comment

Supporters of the proposed iron mine in northern Wisconsin may hope the state wil "stop whining, start mining" sometime soon. But despite the looming passage of a controversial mining bill, any mine -- be that from Gogebic or another company -- is likely years off, even without the filing of potential lawsuits.

By Ryan Ekvall | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON – Mining reform legislation, mired in more than a year of heated debate, continued its way through the slogging legislative process Wednesday with a few modifications following another marathon committee hearing.
The Senate Committee on Workforce Development, Forestry, Mining, and Revenue passed the legislation through on a 3-2 party-line vote, [...]

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Wisconsin official: Nothing ‘secretive’ about mining bill

By   /  February 6, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, News, Open Records, Senate, State Budgets, State Politics, Transparency, Wisconsin  /  1 Comment

Mining committee chairman says there will be no paper ballots on Senate mining bill.

By M.D. Kittle | Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON –A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel piece earlier this week noting the rise of “secretive ballots” in the Legislature isn’t as sinister as it sounds, according to the Senate clerk.
And the author of a controversial mining bill contends there will be nothing secretive about the movement of his legislation.
Sen. Tom Tiffany, [...]

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