A Returning Member, An AI Partnership, And Party Poopers
House Ways & Means news. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) will rejoin the House Ways & Means Committee. He’ll replace retired member Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY). Fellow panel member Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) introduced legislation this week to encourage domestic manufacturing of drugs and medical devices and reduce the industry’s reliance on Chinese manufacturers.
Microsoft and H&R Block team up in developing AI-assisted tax filing platform. H&R Block recently launched AI Tax Assist, developed in partnership with Microsoft and its Azure OpenAI Service, just in time for tax season. Microsoft has said it is not able to access the tax data H&R Block collects. Earlier this year, a congressional investigation alleged that tax prep companies had allowed tech firms to access sensitive financial data for targeted advertising.
No tax bill for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin this year. The state’s Senate Finance & Appropriation Committee yesterday carried over the Republican governor’s tax plan until next year. The General Assembly’s joint subcommittee on tax policy will study the plan. The legislature has put off major proposed changes to the state tax code, given an uncertain economy and slowing revenue growth.
It’s her party, the county will pay if she wants it to? In Jefferson County, Colorado—where commissioners are considering significant budget cuts—the county clerk acknowledged using tax dollars to pay for a party last month. The clerk wanted to express appreciation to employees and improve worker retention. Purchases included Apple AirPods, a robot vacuum, a telescope, and a catered meal, using county budget savings from the county’s job vacancies. A county resident filed an open records request about the party and wants more oversight and transparency of how their tax dollars are spent.
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