Google began removing California news websites from some of its search results in response to a proposal that would force the tech giant and others to pay media companies for linking to their stories. In a Friday blog post, Google called its decision a “short-term test ” and said it was “also pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem.” The moves came in response to the California Journalism Preservation Act, which would require companies including Google, Facebook and Microsoft to give news organizations a share of their ad revenue that opponents call a “link tax,” according…