California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Suit by Tax Board Member Dismissed

A judge threw out a lawsuit Friday by state Board of Equalization member William Bennett that sought to halt the refund of $110,000 in taxes on purchases made overseas by California travelers. Sacramento Superior Court Judge William Ridgeway ruled that Bennett’s suit was invalid under case law that prohibits a member of a state board from suing the board to which he belongs. Bennett said he would refile his suit using a name other than his own. Ridgeway’s ruling allows the state to send out refund checks to people who had paid the controversial tax.