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California Gov. Gavin Newsom will have the chance to approve an excise tax on firearms and ammunition after Assembly Bill 28 was passed by Democrats Thursday.If signed, an 11% tax from the sales of firearms, firearm precursor parts and ammunition would be imposed on dealers and manufacturers beginning July 1, 2024.Money received by the measure would be used to fund various gun violence prevention, education, research and investigation programs, AB 28 states.

A state lawmaker from Manhattan wants to make it costly for New Yorkers not to vote. Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, a Democrat, introduced legislation this week that would establish “compulsory voting” in the state and punish those who don’t vote with a $10 fine. “Mandatory voting would drastically increase civic participation and transform the political arena by making politicians more reflective of the constituents that elected them,” Glick wrote in a memo submitted with the bill. Under Glick’s bill, any eligible voter who fails to vote would be hit with the $10 fine unless they have a “valid excuse” why they...

The 13th June marks the anniversary of the day Wat Tyler led the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 into London. The English capital descended into chaos as the peasants burnt and looted the city, cementing the revolt as the most significant peasant uprising in the feudal period of English history. Originating in the South-East of England, it was when the revolt reached London that its significance became apparent. The peasants went on to capture the Tower of London, a feat which had never been done before. Two powerful figures, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the King’s Treasurer, were killed by the...

When Obamacare’s individual mandate takes effect in 2014, all Americans who file income tax returns must complete an additional IRS tax form. The new form will require disclosure of a taxpayer’s personal identifying health information in order to determine compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. As confirmed by IRS testimony to the tax-writing House Committee on Ways and Means, “taxpayers will file their tax returns reporting their health insurance coverage, and/or making a payment”.

Yesterday, we briefly touched on the fact that in addition to reaffirming his wish to ban so-called "assault weapons," President Obama blames the out of control violence in Chicago on "cheap handguns." From Tuesday night's presidential debate (transcript by ABC News): Because frankly, in my home town of Chicago, there’s an awful lot of violence and they’re not using AK-47s. They’re using cheap hand guns. Granted, Obama was short on detail about what he proposes to do about the scourge of "cheap handgun" violence, but if his solution to "assault weapon violence" (which even he admits comprises a vanishingly small...

Has a liberal ever met a problem he didn’t throw money at? Take U.S. Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Somerville). In a recent radio interview on 1510-AM, he addressed the problem (?) of America’s lack of civic engagement and low voter turnout. “I think there is an obligation — not just a right, but an obligation — to vote,” Capuano said. His solution? Money. Your money. Capuano wants to “require people to vote,” but acknowledged that “we aren’t going to put people in jail.” So instead he came up with this idea: “I don’t think it’s a bad thing to say everybody...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama says he has not decided whether to restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency to a stand-alone department but promises that his administration is committed to robust Gulf Coast recovery efforts regardless of the agency's status. "We're going to be focused on New Orleans' reconstruction, and we're going to be paying a lot of attention to the systems that are in place to protect from hurricanes in the future," Obama said during a White House interview Wednesday with The Times-Picayune and other regional newspapers. In the far-ranging interview, Obama made a case for continuing Justice Department...

A week ago I was at McDonald's ordering lunch. It was very busy and there was a large crowd present. I ordered the food and waited around for a few minutes. While I was doing so, a manager and another crewmemeber were getting ready to put the flags up on the pole. The manager showed him how to fold the flags up and they folded up old glory into a nice triangle with loving and patriotic care. While they were folding the McDonald's flag, a funny looking woman in her thirties with two tots in a carriage walked up to...

French President Jacques Chirac has called for international aid to the Palestinians to continue, despite the recent election victory of Hamas. Mr Chirac said the World Bank should set up a fund to pay the salaries of Palestinian officials.

  IN A panic that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed Rendell might have electoral coattails, it's not surprising that Pennsylvania Republicans would try to suppress Democratic turnout.What is surprising is the ugly and cynical way they're going about it.Supposedly in response to voter fraud, House Republicans passed a bill that would require registered voters to provide either their county voter identification cards or photo identification before being allowed to vote. It goes to the Senate in the fall.We don't think it's a coincidence that the people most likely to be affected by the requirements - the elderly, poor and minorities -...