A ballot referendum being pushed by the nation's largest online retailer, Amazon.com, Inc., might let California voters review a legislature-approved tax intended to increase state revenue and level the playing field between online merchants and brick-and-mortar retailers.

As the tense race between Los Angeles city councilwoman Janice Hahn and businessman Craig Huey comes to a close today, Independents in California's 36th congressional district will be able to demonstrate their electoral prowess in a campaign that's been closer than expected.

The recently passed California budget assumed $4 billion in increased revenues. Without that additional income, the budget will not be balanced. Draconian cuts will then ensue, and will hit education hard.

A multi-partisan group of former elected officials is seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballot that would replace Arizona’s current semi-closed primary with a top-two open primary system similar to that which was passed by California voters last year.

With the shocking collapse of Rupert Murdoch’s sensationalistic News of the World over the past few days, journalistic integrity has taken yet another blow in the eyes of an increasingly cynical public. 

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act that would have forced defunding of the Libyan war on Thursday, opting to pass the Cole (R-OK) Amendment instead. The ambitious bipartisan resolution from Reps. Kucinich (D-OH) and Amash (R-MI) was narrowly defeated 199-229.

In a state where Independents now outnumber registered voters from each of the two major parties, an Arizona State University professor suggests that it may be time for the Grand Canyon State to adopt some form of an open primary system.