Text, Californians, text: State commission won't pursue tax on text messaging

California's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced it would no longer be pursuing a measure that would've added a surcharge to phone bills for text messaging. "On Dec. 12, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a declaratory ruling finding that "text messaging" is an information service, not a telecommunications service, under the Federal Telecommunications Act," the CPUC wrote in its statement. The CPUC noted that if texting were a telecommunications service it would be subject to state tax under California law. "In light of the FCC's action, assigned Commissioner Carla J. Peterman has withdrawn from the CPUC's Jan. 10, 2019 Voting Meeting" the proposal that would've added the tax.