California Digital Ad Tax Falters Under Tech Industry Pressure

The California state senator who proposed a digital advertising tax in early May is instead turning his focus to a narrower bill that would impose fees on platforms that distribute news, after opposition from big tech companies.

Democratic Sen. Steve Glazer’s bill (S.B. 1327) is still alive and he can bring it up for a vote on the Senate floor any time before the legislative session ends Aug. 31. But he said in an interview Friday that he doubts he can reach the two-thirds vote threshold needed to pass it. He’s seen a “full-court press” from the tech ...