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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
However, Assembly Bill 1741 authored by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and signed by the governor, removed a fee levied on cannabis businesses that pay the taxes they owe using cash.
“Now that California is establishing a regulatory system for the influx of businesses into the cannabis industry, we need to do everything we can to encourage tax compliance in this billion dollar industry. It’s unfair to penalize cannabis businesses for their lack of access to banks. Assembly Bill 1741 (Bonta) is a step forward for this industry while we continue to find a path for California’s cannabis businesses to get access to financial institutions,” said Vice Chair of the California State Board of Equalization Fiona Ma, CPA and co-sponsor of AB 1741.
“I want to thank Gov. Brown for signing my AB 1741 into law. AB 1741 will create equity for taxpayers within the cannabis industry by removing an unfair penalty on cash tax payments made to the state. The new law will further incentivize the cannabis industry to legally comply with California’s tax code, which in turn will generate more tax revenue and further stimulate California’s economy,” said Assemblyman Bonta.
“Discouraging cash payments only increases non-compliance in an industry that wants to comply with its tax obligations. That is why CCIA is committed to helping to advance tax policies that support a compliant cannabis industry, which is why we were pleased to co-sponsor AB 1741," said California Cannabis Industry Association Executive Director Lindsay Robinson.
Before the governor signed AB 1741, the law required businesses that have monthly sales, use, cultivation and excise tax payments averaging $10,000 or more to submit their payments using electronic fund transfers. If they don’t do so, penalties will be imposed.
The Legislature passed AB 821 (Gipson) in 2016, which removed the 10-percent fee on all nonelectronic funds transfer, or non-EFT, payments over $10,000, however, AB 821 only applied to sales and use taxes on medical cannabis.
AB 1741 (Bonta) removes the 10-percent fee on non-EFT payments over $10,000 for cultivation and excise taxes on medical and adult-use cannabis, creating equity for the taxpayers in this industry.
AB 1741 further incentivizes the cannabis industry to legally comply with California’s tax code, which in turn would generate much more taxable revenue and further stimulate California’s economy.
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- Written by: California Department of Food and Agriculture
This program makes available $250,000 in grant funding to promote agricultural education and leadership activities for students at the K-12, post-secondary, and adult education levels.
Proceeds generated through the sales of specialized, agriculture-themed license plates through the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have made this opportunity available.
"I’m so very pleased to announce our fifth year of CalAgPlate funding,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This program directly supports agricultural education and leadership opportunities throughout the state. Without the support of consumers who purchase agricultural special interest license plates and the dedication of students in FFA, 4-H and other programs this funding opportunity would not be possible.”
A purchase of a CalAgPlate helps to fund educational opportunities statewide which include agricultural workshops, farm tours and the State FFA Leadership Conference.
The CalAgPlate program has funded more than $994,629 in youth educational activities since the program's inception.
Funding is available on a competitive basis for state-adopted Agricultural Education Programs (Education Code Section 52450-52454), government agencies, and non-profit organizations that administer agricultural education programs.
The application deadline is Oct. 5, 2018.
For further information and grant application materials, please visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/calagplate.
You can help support agricultural education and the CalAgPlate program by purchasing a special interest license plate at your local DMV office or online today.
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- Written by: United States Department of Agriculture
“Rural high-speed broadband e-Connectivity is as important for economic development as rail, roads, bridges and airports – and as vital as the buildouts of rural telephone networks were decades ago,” Perdue said. “USDA is committed to being a strong partner with rural leaders in deploying this essential infrastructure.”
Reliable and affordable high-speed internet e-Connectivity acts as a catalyst for rural prosperity by enabling efficient, modern communications between rural American households, farms, ranches, businesses, schools and health care centers.
Yet, according to the Federal Communications Commission, 80 percent of the 24 million Americans who lack broadband access live in rural areas and on tribal lands.
USDA plays an important role in helping rural communities bridge this infrastructure gap through program investment, strategic partnerships and best practice implementation by investing in rural telecommunications infrastructure.
This new Web site will provide direct access to information on our decades-long programs that offer more than $700 million per year for modern broadband e-Connectivity in rural communities.
In the coming months, USDA will almost double these longstanding programs with an additional $600 million to expand rural broadband infrastructure in unserved rural areas and tribal lands.
As we are working to set up the new pilot program, USDA wants to hear the thoughts and needs of Americans living and doing business in rural communities. The new website includes a feedback form for the general public and interested stakeholders to provide input on the design and requirements of the new pilot program.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities.
In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump, which included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity.
In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic here or below.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas.
This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.
For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
Rural Task Force Infographic by LakeCoNews on Scribd
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- Written by: BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
The Mendocino Complex fire has already been named the largest wildfire in California history according to Cal Fire, while the Carr Fire in Shasta County has burned more than 229,000 acres.
Unfortunately, scammers and unethical organizations often use times of tragedy to prey on victims and on the public’s generosity.
Although no scams related to the current wildfires have been reported so far, the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California has received reports of fraudulent charities soliciting donations and crowdfunding appeals that don’t actually benefit victims after past tragedies.
Similarly to last year’s fires in Napa and Sonoma, those affected by the fires should also be on the lookout for price gouging of hotels and other goods and services. If you encounter a scam or unethical business, report it to your BBB ScamTracker.
The following BBB tips will help you donate wisely to those affected by the devastating California fires:
· Be cautious when giving online. Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to spam messages, emails, and social media pages that claim to link to a relief organization. If you want to give to a charity involved in relief efforts, go directly to the charity’s website.
· Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity. Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other websites, as they may not have fully researched the relief organizations they list. The public can go to www.give.org to research charities and relief organizations and verify that they are accredited by BBB and meet its 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
· Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims. Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fundraising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee. If a charity claims 100 percent of collected funds will be assisting fire victims, the truth is that the organization is still probably incurring fundraising and administrative expenses. It may use some of its other funds to pay these costs, but the expenses will still be incurred.
· Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. Unless the charity already has staff in the affected areas, it may be difficult to bring in new aid workers to provide assistance quickly. See if the charity’s website clearly describes what the charity can do to address immediate needs.
· Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to those that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to see whether they are equipped to provide aid effectively.
· Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations. In-kind drives for food and clothing, while well intentioned, may not necessarily be the quickest way to help those in need – unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to distribute such aid properly. Ask the charity about its transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance.
· A word on crowdfunding sites. Crowdfunding is a method of raising money from a large group of people, typically via the Internet. If you’re thinking about donating to a fire relief appeal on a crowdfunding site, make sure to ask questions. If the organizer is not responsive or not willing to offer a lot of detail, that is a red flag. BBB Wise Giving Alliance notes that crowdfunding websites call for varying degrees of information in order for appeals to be set up, and may take fundraising pages down when questions are raised that can’t be substantiated. However, those requirements alone won’t prevent all fraud. If you decide to contribute via crowdfunding, it is probably best to give to people who you personally know that have posted requests for assistance. For more Give.org tips on crowdfunding, check out this Wise Giving Wednesday post. Crowdfunding website campaigns can do a lot of good, and raise a lot of money, but make sure you do your homework before contributing.
For many communities, recovery will be a long-term activity that can take many months or years to accomplish, depending on the extent of the damage.
Recovery efforts may not begin until the fires have been contained, and those concerned about helping communities bounce back will have many opportunities to help.
If you encounter any scams, make sure to report them to BBB Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker to help warn others.