California legislator proposes beer tax to fill state budget gap

The subprime credit crunch and rising oil prices have rattled the country’s economy, and states are feeling the pressure as well. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia are expected to face budget deficits in 2009 following decreases in sales tax and property tax revenue. It’s no worse than in California, which faces a $16 billion shortfall. But state lawmakers are getting creative. We talk with California Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose, who is proposing a “six-pack tax.”