Briefly in the news

The U.S. Senate passed a local congressman’s Internet tax bill

Thursday.

The bill, known as the Internet Non-Discrimination Act, extends a ban

on “discriminatory” taxes for two more years. The moratorium expired Oct.

21.

The extension was coauthored by Rep. Chris Cox, who represents Newport

Beach, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Cox and Wyden sponsored the initial

moratorium that was passed in 1998.

“This is wonderful news,” Cox said in a statement Thursday. “Senator

Wyden deserves a gold medal for his resolve to pass this bill.”

The bill was hung up in the Senate after passing the House on Oct. 16.

It was introduced on April 24.

The bill, now headed to President Bush’s desk, would lock out more

than 30,000 local and state agencies from imposing taxes on some forms of

Internet commerce and access to the World Wide Web.