By BJ Austin, KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – Gasoline prices in Dallas-Fort Worth are the highest in the state. The latest Triple-A survey says the price of a gallon of gas rose 11 cents over the past week in Dallas; 9 cents in Fort Worth.
Dallas drivers are paying an average $3.68; a penny less in Fort Worth.
The "state" average is $3.65 a gallon - that's a 13 cent increase.
House committee approves Internet sales tax bill
The Texas House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved a bill that would increase sales tax collection on Internet transactions.
Proponents say the bill will even the playing field for local retailers who are required to collect state sales tax. Under current rules, if a company does not have a physical presence inside Texas, the company does not have to collect sales tax. Under state law, the customer is required to pay it instead, but rarely does.
The bill expands what constitutes a physical presence to include bloggers who are paid to promote sales on the other websites. Companies like Amazon.com often pay these bloggers a commission.
Amazon.com recently shutdown a warehouse in Irving after the state insisted the website must collect tax on sales in Texas.
Payday Lender Bill Clears First Hurdle
A bill to protect consumers from predatory "payday" lenders is over its first hurdle.
The Senate Business and Commerce Committee, today, approved the bill by Fort Worth Democrat Wendy Davis.
Davis says the bill protects against certain "loan products" with interest rates that can exceed more than 500 percent and exploit the financially vulnerable - including service members and their dependents.
The bill would require a payment plan for consumers after the loan has been re-issued three times, plus limit or eliminate some fees now charged.
It would also put the payday and car title lenders under the same oversight as traditional lenders.
Texting while driving ban passes Texas House
A watered-down ban on texting while driving has passed the Texas House.
The bill, which passed on a 124-16 vote Thursday, would make it illegal to text while driving but makes it clear motorists could still read text and email messages on their cellphones.
Supporters said texting is a dangerous and often deadly distraction for drivers. Critics said the bill was too invasive and would allow police to harass motorists. After an amendment to the legislation removed the prohibition on reading electronic messages on cellphones by drivers, the measure easily passed.
It faces a final procedural hurdle and is expected to move to the Senate.
Sex offender accused of murder to fake own death
A registered sex offender trying to avoid arrest on a new child molestation case is accused of trying to fake his own death by killing a homeless man who resembled him.
Fort Worth police say 42-year-old Michael A. Gilbert shot the man, stuffed his body in his car trunk and torched the car. However, police Sgt. Cheryl Johnson says officers weren't fooled because of Gilbert's previous attempt to fake his own death.
She said police arrested Gilbert Tuesday night after a standoff of nearly seven hours ended when he cut his neck with a knife. He's hospitalized under police guard and charged with capital murder while authorities try to identify the dead man.
She said Gilbert tried to fake his death at least once before in 2002 in Biloxi, Miss.