New York lawmakers today announced plans to ban all internet sales to individuals who aren't "licensed to receive" internet goods and services. The idea was born out of the success of the State's internet tobacco sales ban. The internet tobacco ban was originally touted as a public health measure and a way to keep cigarettes out of the hands of children. But state lawmakers quickly realized the financial windfall, now that consumers had to leave their house to go to actual brick and mortar stores to buy their smokes.

"We were losing literally millions of dollars in tax revenue from internet tobacco sales. I figured, hell, we're losing BILLIONS of dollars of sales tax revenue on all that other stuff people buy online," said State lawmaker Roy Niggardly, chairman of the New York State Ways and Means Committee. "So why not just ban everything."

Sales taxes aren't the only financial gain the state will receive by forcing people to leave their homes to make purchases. Gas taxes, toll bridges, parking, and public transportation revenues are all expected to rise. Although the economic impact for the State of New York is unknown at this time, lawmakers are already thinking of ways to spend the projected budget surplus.