Abracadabra! Romania witches win tax fight for now

[September 09, 2010]  BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- "Abracadabra, we'll turn all of you into toads!"

That's what Romanian senators may have been fearing when they rejected a proposal to tax witches and fortune tellers.

Lawmakers Alin Popoviciu and Cristi Dugulescu of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party drafted a law where witches and fortune tellers would have to produce receipts, and would also be held liable for wrong predictions.

Romania's Senate voted down the proposal Tuesday. Popoviciu claimed lawmakers were frightened of being cursed.

Maria Campina, a well-known Romanian witch, told Realitatea TV Thursday it is difficult to tax thousands of fortune tellers and witches partly because of the erratic sums of money they receive.

It's unclear if Popoviciu and Dugulescu will try to redraft the law.

[Associated Press]

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