Q&A on the News

“The way the system works does not distinguish between someone who is an online retailer and a regular brick-and-mortar retailer. All of the money is collected the same,” Georgia Department of Revenue spokesman Nick Genesi told Q&A on the News in an email.

Also, the state can’t disclose information specific to a certain business, such as Amazon, under Georgia law.

When the Georgia Legislature passed House Bill 386 in 2012, experts predicted that requiring some web sellers to collect sales tax would add about $18 million to the state.

That’s a fraction of the $455.5 million that a 2009 University of Tennessee estimate predicted Georgia would lose in uncollected sales tax in 2012, the AJC reported that year.

Q: How did President Barack Obama reach out to the families of the 12 victims in the Colorado theater shootings? Did he travel there and meet with the families and/or attend the funerals?

—Tanya Kent, Suwanee

A: President Obama visited family members and wounded survivors of the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., on July 22, 2012.

Obama, who suspended his re-election campaign that weekend, also spoke at the University of Colorado Medical Center, where the victims were treated.

Twelve people were killed and 70 others were wounded in the attack on July 20, 2012.

James Eagan Holmes was found guilty of 24 counts of first-degree murder — two for each victim — and 134 counts of first-degree attempted murder, among other charges.

Andy Johnston wrote this column; Allison Floyd contributed. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).