Brown's tax bill dies in state Senate as legislative session ends

A complicated, last-minute stab at job creation and tax reform ended up in the trash last night - and it's probably just as well. This seemed like a patchwork effort of questionable value; even the governor had a tough time explaining the provisions during a Thursday press conference. Tax reform is badly needed, of course, but it must be thoughtfully conceived and all-inclusive. In this case, Brown had proposed closing a loophole to the corporate tax formula that had been costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars. In return, businesses would have certain tax breaks. The bill, which got through the Assembly on Thursday night, fell five votes short in the Senate. Here's the Capitol Alert story. Also last night:

Amazon bill: Lawmakers approved a compromise plan in which the state agrees to wait at least a year to begin collecting sales taxes from the online retailer's California customers. In return, Amazon promises not to place a referendum on the ballot that could have overturned the sales tax law. (Mercury News)

Hollywood tax credit extended: But only for a year. Proponents had wanted a five-year, $500 million extension, which seemed a little extreme at a time when the state budget is being smashed to smithereens. (LAT)

All initiatives on November ballots: This could be a big deal, considering that November is when more Democrats come out to vote. Republicans say that union interests were seeking to delay anti-labor ballot initiatives that could end up on next June's ballot. They're probably right, though the current setup - putting state initiatives on general election or June primary ballots - clearly favors conservative interests because turnout in those elections skews conservative. (AP)