State Board of Equalization:
Legislature Confirms Jerome Horton as New Member of the BOE

The state Senate and Assembly both gave Jerome Horton strong votes of support September 10 as they confirmed his nomination to the State Board of Equalization. Mr. Horton was approved on a 40-0 vote of the Senate, and on a 64-1 vote of the Assembly, and can now be sworn in to represent the BOE's District Four, encompassing a large area of Southern California.

Members of both political parties spoke in favor of confirmation, praising Mr. Horton's experience as a long-time Board of Equalization employee and as a state lawmaker. Senator Ron Calderon, who also had sought the governor's nomination for the post, spoke in favor of Mr. Horton and said he hoped the new member would influence the BOE to do more to improve the state's business climate, and "not to assume that a business is guilty until proven innocent."

The only vote of opposition came from Democratic Assemblyman Mike Eng, who is considered a possible candidate for the BOE seat in 2010. Mr. Eng is the husband of Dr. Judy Chu, who held the office until she was elected to Congress earlier this year. Since Dr. Chu's departure, the seat has been filled by her former chief deputy, Steve Shea.

Mr. Horton said during the hearing that he will attempt to change the culture at the BOE to make the board more friendly to taxpayers, and will push board staff to help taxpayers address problems at the earliest possible time and lowest possible level. He said educating business owners about their tax obligations helps them avoid frustration and helps the state collect more in taxes.

Major goals, Mr. Horton said, are to improve collection of the billions of taxes that already are owed but haven't been received by the state, and to target the underground economy to collect billions in taxes that are not being reported.

Cal-TaxReports, September 14, 2009

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