Tax Hikes, Cuts
Lots of new taxes will hit Jan. 1. In Pennsylvania, motorists will see a 9.5 cents per gallon tax increase on unleaded gas and a 13 cents per gallon tax increase on diesel fuel. North Carolina will extend its 4.75 percent sales tax to more items, including movies, college and professional sporting events, concerts, plays and museums.
Tennessee will start collecting the state's 7 percent sales tax on all Amazon purchases. Many states have started collecting taxes on Internet purchases in the absence of federal legislation dealing with the issue. The Supreme Court declined to hear a case that would have clarified the issue, leaving states to make their own laws.
Other states are cutting taxes on Jan. 1:
- In Massachusetts, on Jan. 1 the state income tax rate will drop from 5.25 percent to 5.2 percent.
- Indiana’s inheritance tax had been scheduled to gradually phase out by Jan. 1, 2022, but the state legislature in April voted to make the repeal retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013.
- Ohio starts a 3-year personal income tax cut up to 10 percent with a reduction of 8.5 percent on Jan. 1.
Drones, Possums and Puppies
Illinois is leading the way on drone laws, and other states are expected to follow in upcoming legislative sessions. One Illinois law prohibits using drones to interfere with hunters or fishermen. Another, called the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, prohibits law enforcement from using a drone to gather information except to counter a terrorist attack or prevent the "imminent" escape of a suspect.
Brasstown, NC's famed New Year’s Eve "possum drop" can go forward, because of a new law that authorizes the "drop" (imagine the ball drop in New York's Times Square but with a critter in a cage). A last-minute court challenge of the law by animal rights activists was rejected allowing the event to proceed as long as the possum is released into the wild afterward.
Back to Illinois, where a "puppy lemon law"” starting Jan. 1 will give purchasers a three-week window to see if the animal is healthy. If the pet dies within three weeks of purchase, the law allows buyers to be reimbursed for the cost of the pet, along with veterinary fees. The law allows owners to return the pet to the store if a hereditary condition appears within the first year of purchase. The law applies only to pets bought from stores, not breeders or casual sellers.
Election laws also will change on Jan. 1 in many states. Florida will expand the number of early voting sites, limit ballot questions on constitutional amendments to 75-word summaries and allow those who forget to sign their absentee ballot to sign an affidavit later testifying to the ballot's authenticity. In Colorado, 16-year-olds will be allowed to preregister to vote, allowing them to be automatically registered when they turn 18.
In Delaware, a law prohibiting the sale and distribution of shark fins takes effect Wednesday. While the practice of capturing sharks, cutting off their fins and returning them to the water is already illegal, Delaware’s new law explicitly prohibits profit from the fin sales.
Stateline is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news service of the Pew Charitable Trusts that provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy.
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