PORN TAX BILL PASSED OUT OF TAX COMMITTEE

Please read below a letter from Assemblyman Charles Calderon regarding ex adult entertainer Daphne and I testifying at California State Capitol on May 12, 2008, in support of AB2914 Adult Entertainment Tax Bill which will tax pornography and the adult entertainment industry at the rate of 25% of gross receipts received in this state on or after October 1, 2008.

The bill did PASS out of the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee on August 4, 2008 5-4 after hearing testimony of supporters of the bill versus testimony from the adult industry and is in process to become a law.
I think it's a huge victory and says a lot when the State of California Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee passes the bill out of committee after hearing powerful testimony from supporters of the bill. Even though in the video you will see many adult industry advocates OPPOSE the bill, it STILL passed out of committee. I guess they didn't buy the adult industry's lies.

Please see the video below to hear both sides of testimony.

UPDATE FOR AB2914 PORN TAX BILL, AUGUST 10 2008:
Below is the Bill history in order to help you understand more how the bill process works. It seems certain adult industry web sites are saying the bill was defeated or "dead" and that I am an idiot for saying it passed. They should have done their research to understand the bill process but since they did not, I will help to educate them.

After the PASS vote by the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee on August 4 which Assemblyman Charles Calderon refers to in his letter written to me below, the bill was sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 7 where it was set for first hearing, held under submission and then placed in suspense file.

Below are some links to other bills with similar status as AB2914 to give you an idea of how bills are processed and though some do not advance, some of them are later "chaptered" into law.

SB345
AB762
AB324 - This is an example of a bill that died.

Even if the bill does not become law for this session , the bill may be reintroduced at the next legislative session where I will fight even harder to help get it passed and made into a law (smile). Note to adult industry: I never ever give up.

And even if the bill officially "dies", I will just find another elected official who is interested in fighting for health and safety laws or maybe one who is interested in mandatory drug testing (which would deplete the porn industry of most of its workers) or maybe I'll work with Cal/OSHA to help them enforce the adult film industry standards the porn industry does NOT follow. Or maybe I'll find a government official who wants to help me combat the rampant prostitution. It is limitless what one can do to clean up the filthy and illegally operating porn industry.

And with hard work and determination, my hope someday is the porn industry will be unable to exist and utlimately dissolve to nothing. I'm working on it!

The bill AB2914 was not voted down or "defeated" by the Assembly Appropriations committee but since there were not enough votes to continue to move it forward at this time it was placed into suspense file (which is pretty normal for bills that cost over $150,000 to fund) and held in committee where it will either officially "die", remain until next session OR it is still possible it can be pulled out of suspense file before session ends on August 31. Although some legal analysts may not agree with my optimistic outlook, I believe anything is possible with God. That's why I need you all to still pray for this bill!

To read an example of another bill that was held in submission and then reintroduced the following year click here. This may help you understand how bills are reintroduced and later passed! In other words, it aint over til it's over!

Read bill AB2914 history below:

AB2914 BILL HISTORY 2008

Aug. 7    In committee:  Set, first hearing.  Held under submission.  Referred
    to  APPR. suspense file.
Aug. 4    From committee:  Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on  APPR.
    Re-referred.  (Ayes  5. Noes  4.) (August  4).
June 24    (Corrected June  24.)
June 23    Re-referred to Com. on  REV. & TAX.  In committee:  Hearing
    postponed by committee.
June 19    From committee chair, with author's amendments:  Amend, and re-refer
    to Com. on  REV. & TAX. Read second time and amended.
May 12    Re-referred to Com. on  REV. & TAX.  In committee: Set, first
    hearing. Referred to  REV. & TAX. suspense file.
May 8    From committee chair, with author's amendments:  Amend, and re-refer
    to Com. on  REV. & TAX. Read second time and amended.
May 5    In committee:  Hearing postponed by committee.
Apr. 7    Re-referred to Com. on  REV. & TAX.
Apr. 3    Referred to Com. on  REV. & TAX.  From committee chair, with
    author's amendments:  Amend, and re-refer to Com. on  REV. & TAX.
    Read second time and amended.
Feb. 25    Read first time.
Feb. 24    From printer.  May be heard in committee  March  25.
Feb. 22    Introduced.  To print.

To keep up with status of the bill click here.

To learn more about the AB2914 Bill and who supports it please click here.
To read who voted on the bill click here.

To learn more about the schedule of California State Legislature click here.
To learn more about how a bill becomes a law in California click here.

**State of California Voters, Please Contact your Assembly Members by e-mail and or telephone. Lets make our voices heard and let them know what the people want! If you do not know your district assembly person... e-mail them all!!
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/clerk/MEMBERINFORMATION/memberdir_1.asp

Thank you Assemblyman Calderon for giving us the opportunity to testify and tell the truth about the porn industry. We will continue to support your efforts.