Proposed tax would charge California cellphone users for every text

SAN FRANCISCO, California -- The California Public Utilities Commission is set to vote next month on a proposal to tax text messages.

State regulators say the money would be used to support programs that provide phone service to the poor.

It's unclear how much you'd have to pay per message.

The wireless industry and business groups are fighting the plan.

They say it could cost phone users an extra $44 million a year.

They also say the proposal is unfair because services like Facebook's Messenger and Apple's iMessage wouldn't be hit with the new fee.

See the proposal by CPUC here.