Amazon To Start Collecting Sales Tax In Florida
April 17, 2014
Internet giant Amazon.com will start to collect sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians starting May 1.
For Floridians who are supposed to pay the taxes but haven’t, the announcement of Amazon’s entry into the state’s brick-and-mortar retail landscape could mean about $80 million a year in sales taxes, according to one business lobbying group.
Ty Rogers, a spokesman for the Seattle-based retailer, responded simply in an email on Wednesday that “Amazon will be required to collect sales tax in Florida beginning on May 1.”
The announcement isn’t unexpected as the company is building a pair of massive “fulfillment” centers along the Interstate 4 corridor.
John Fleming, a spokesman for the Florida Retail Federation, said the announcement is probably a sign that Amazon will soon trigger a collection requirement by starting to hire for the year-end holidays, which for retailers begins in September.
“They’re going to have to have employees ready by then,” Fleming said.
The Tampa Bay Times reported Wednesday that Amazon intends to open its new 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse in southeastern Hillsborough County by the end of the year.
The company also is upping its hiring projections for the facility from 1,100 to about 2,500, including seasonal hires, according to the Times.
The Amazon announcement won’t end the drive by some groups to eliminate an exemption that has allowed out-of-state online retailers including Amazon, eBay and Overstock to avoid collecting the taxes.
The Florida Department of Revenue requires online companies to begin collecting sales taxes once a company has a physical presence in the state. That has allowed many out-of-state online retailers, including Amazon, to avoid adding the taxes to online purchases. Floridians are supposed to pay the taxes themselves when they buy from online retailers, but few do.
The Florida Retail Federation, which estimates the state will collect $80 million a year from Amazon sales, has been pushing for years to get Florida to impose what the group calls “e-Fairness” tax laws and Congress to approve what is known as the Marketplace Fairness Act.
Fleming said the current focus leans toward Congress taking action, as the federal act would give states the authority to require online and catalog retailers —- regardless of where they are —- to collect sales taxes at the time of transactions.
Besides, state lawmakers, reluctant to impose new taxes, haven’t shown much interest in e-Fairness efforts despite the lobbying efforts of Florida-based business and retail groups.
Eight bills on the issue died during the 2013 state legislative session, including one that would have offset the additional revenue collected by lowering other taxes.
This year there has been less interest in Tallahassee for e-Fairness.
State economist Amy Baker said an estimated impact of Amazon’s tax collections on Florida’s revenue could be ready this summer. The company was not included in a March forecast by the state Revenue Estimating Committee.
“We discussed it, but felt there was still too much uncertainty — particularly in regard to timing — to make the inclusion at that time,” Baker said in an email.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Trial Postponed For Molino Woman Claiming Self Defense In Husband’s Fatal Shooting
April 17, 2014
Trial been postponed for a Molino woman accused of murdering her husband last year.
Rebecca A. Rogers, 43, appeared before Judge Linda Nobles Wednesday in Escambia County Circuit Court. Nobles, at the request of both her defense attorney and prosecutors, reset Roger’s jury trial. Jury selection is now set to begin in late June.
Rogers allegedly shot her husband, 42-year old Jason Lee Rogers, in the head last August at the couple’s home in the 3400 block of Highway 29 near Mathison Road. He died about two days later.
Rebecca Rogers called 911 to say that her husband choked her and she shot him, according to an arrest report. Deputies arrived to find Rebecca Rogers standing outside the home. They found Jason Rogers lying unconscious in the back bedroom of the home on his stomach with what appeared to be a gunshot to his head. According to the report, he also suffered two other gunshot wounds to the back.
Rogers has claimed the shooting was in self defense. She remains free on a $300,000 bond.
Man Sentenced For Sexual Misconduct At Juvenile Girls Facility
April 17, 2014
Ernest Lerenza Parker was sentenced Wednesday by Santa Rosa Circuit Judge John Simon to 25 years in prison followed by 10 years of sex offender probation. Parker was convicted by a Santa Rosa County Jury on March 7 of three counts of sexual misconduct.
Parker was employed as a medical technician at the Milton Girls Juvenile Residential Facility from March 2012 until December 2012. During the time of his employment, the 53-year old Milton man engaged in various sexual acts with several of the girls who were committed to the facility. These crimes were reported to law enforcement during an investigation of physical abuse that had occurred at the juvenile facility.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Juvenile Justice conducted an extensive investigation which resulted in Parker’s arrest. Parker admitted to investigators that
he had touched several of the juveniles in a sexual manner. During the trial the girls testified that Parker had touched them inappropriately, engaging in sexual acts with some of them.
The Milton juvenile facility was closed on December 24, 2012.
Coalition Pushes For Open Government, Ethics Reforms
April 17, 2014
A coalition of groups called Wednesday for lawmakers to approve bills that would overhaul open-records and ethics laws before the legislative session ends in little more than two weeks.
The organizations — including the First Amendment Foundation, Common Cause Florida, Integrity Florida, the Citizens Awareness Foundation and The Tea Party Network —said the House should pass a counterpart (HB 1151) to a measure approved by the Senate (SB 1648) strengthening the state’s open-government rules.
The bill would create laws mirroring several court decisions, including one barring officials from demanding that citizens put requests for records in writing. Also, the bill would require open-government training for government employees.
It comes as the Legislature is on pace to boost the total number of exemptions from open-records laws to almost 1,100, said Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation.
“It’s a concern for us that the Legislature is very willing to create all of these exceptions to the constitutional right of access, but drags its heels on any attempt to improve our open-government laws,” Petersen said Wednesday at a press conference.
The coalition also pressed lawmakers to approve a handful of ethics bills, including one measure (SB 846) that would bar local elected officials from working as legislative lobbyists in the future — though they would be able to represent their agencies at the Capitol. The bill also would require independent special districts to set up lobbyist-registration systems.
by The News Service of Florida
(Disclosure: The News Service of Florida is a member of the First Amendment Foundation.)
Coaches Name Robinson To All-State First Team
April 17, 2014
The Florida Association of Basketball Coaches has named Northview’s Neino Robinson to the 2013-2014 Boys Class 1A All-State first team.
Robinson, a senior, was the only public school player from Escambia County named to any of the associations’ all-state teams in an classification. Players were selected based on in-person evaluations, a review of all-area teams selected by media from around the state, and recognition from the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches.
The Florida Association of Basketball Coaches includes coaches from the high school, junior college and four-year college levels.
Tate, Jay To Play For District Championships After Wednesday Wins
April 17, 2014
The Tate Lady Aggies and the Jay Lady Royals will be in action tonight in their district softball championship games.
The top-seeded Tate Lady Aggies beat Fort Walton Beach Wednesday night 12-1 in five. The win earned the Lady Aggies a chance to play Thursday night for the District 1-7A championship against the third seed Navarre Raiders, 7 p.m. at Tate High School. The Raiders upset number two Niceville Wednesday 2-1.
The Jay Royals beat Baker Wednesday night to advance to the championship game of the District 3-1A softball tournament. Jay will host Chipley at 7:00 Thursday night for the district championship after Chipley beat Holmes County.
Wahoos Fall 5-0 To Montgomery
April 17, 2014
On a crisp night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (7-6) dropped game three of the five-game series with the Montgomery Biscuits, 5-0. The Biscuits (7-6) were powered by a 5th inning grand slam from left fielder Jeff Malm, which appeared to put the game out of reach.
RHP Robert Stephenson (1-1) struggled in his second start of the season. He logged 4.1 innings and gave up 5 R/ER. Stephenson walked seven Biscuit batters and gave up a grand slam to Malm in the fifth, which ended up being his final batter of the evening. Reliever Daniel Renken had his longest outing of the season in relief of Stephenson. Renken pitched 2.2 innings and gave up no runs, three walks and struck out two. Wahoos pitchers combined to match a team record with 11 walks in the game.
Right fielder Juan Duran extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 1-for-4 performance at the plate. Left fielder Donald Lutz remained hot going 1-for-4 with a double. Shortstop Devin Lohman had his second multi-hit game of the season; Lohman went 2-for-4 with two singles for the Wahoos.
RHP Jared Mortensen (2-0) gave up no runs in his third start of the season; Mortensen pitched 5.0 innings and gave up just four hits while striking out five Wahoo batters. RHP Jake Thompson pitched three scoreless innings in relief for the Biscuits. Thompson gave up just one hit and struck out four in his longest outing of the season.
Thursday marks the fourth game of the series and first pitch is scheduled for 6:30. RHP Jon Moscot (0-0, 0.90) is set to start for the Wahoos and he will be opposed by Michael Colla (0-1, 6.52).
by Tommy Thrall
Pictured: The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lose 5-0 to the Montgomery Biscuits Wednesday night in Pensacola. Photos by Michael Spooneybarger/ Pensacola Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Sets Recreational Red Snapper Season To Begin May 24
April 17, 2014
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) set the Gulf recreational red snapper season in state waters Wednesday. The season will be a total of 52 days in 2014 and will start the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 24 this year) and remain open through July 14, closing July 15.
Starting the season the Saturday before Memorial Day will provide recreational red snapper fishing through an important holiday weekend, helping attract more visitors and bringing economic benefits to our coastal communities, FWC said.
The federal season is currently projected to be 11 days long, starting June 1 and remaining open through June 11. This season is subject to change depending on projections by NOAA Fisheries for when the recreational red snapper quota may be caught.
Florida state waters in the Gulf are from shore to 9 nautical miles. Federal waters extend from where state waters end, out to about 200 nautical miles.
The daily bag limit will remain two per person in state and federal waters.
Escambia Woman Dies In Highway 98 Crash
April 16, 2014
An Escambia County woman died in a two vehicle traffic crash Wednesday morning.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 89-year old Christene Wyatt Gileland was westbound on Highway 98 at South 61st Avenue in a 1996 Ford Escort, as a 2000 Mitsubishi Galant driven by 54-year old Anna Mare Rue was southbound on 61st Avenue and approaching Highway 98 in the left turn lane. The vehicles collided, with both coming to rest in the intersection.
Gileland was pronounced deceased following the crash, while Rue received minor injuries.
Charges are pending the completion of a traffic homicide investigation, according to FHP.
Century Man Gets Five Years For Indecent Exposure To Nursing Home Residents
April 16, 2014
A Century man was sentenced to five years in state prison Tuesday for exposing himself in front of nursing home residents in Century.
Daryl Lamar Brown, 46, was found guilty by an Escambia County jury of two counts of lewd and lascivious exposure in the presence of an elderly or disabled person and two additional misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure. He was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Ross Goodman.
The charges were filed after the defendant was observed by several residents of the Century Care Center committing lewd and indecent acts in the early morning hours outside the center.