In January 2019 a bill was proposed in the New Hampshire Legislature by Representative Timothy Horrigan (D-Strafford) that sought to create a tax on premium cigars at the rate of 65.03 percent of the wholesale price. On the morning of February 27, 2019 a voice vote was held in the New Hampshire Senate where House Bill 438 was defeated 293-58. All 53 votes in favor of the tax were made by Democrat. A full list of […]
The state of Tennessee has seen a bill introduced by State Senator Rosalind Kurita (I-22) that would raise the tobacco age in the state from 18 to 21. In addition the new bill would make tobacco possession for those under 21 a Class C Misdemeanor. In the state, a Class C misdemeanor is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $50 fine. In an article that appeared in the MTSU […]
In the land of Altria, the state of Virginia a movement began to raise the tobacco purchase age only a month ago. The measure came as no surprise to many with their ear to the ground in the tobacco industry as one of the biggest tobacco companies actually is part of the Tobacco 21 movement. The bill raced through the legislative bodies where HB 2478 passed in the House of Delagates by a 62-32 vote […]
Oklahoma has seen the introduction of a bill by the State Senate President Harold Wright (R-57) that would modify the Oklahoma Workplace Clean Air Act and remove an exemption for cigar smoking at cigar bars and cigar retailers in the Sooner State. The bill which was referred to the Public Health Committee exited with the recommendation to pass by a 7-3 vote. Name Yea Nay NV Absent Rep. Chad Caldwell [R] X Rep. Regina Goodwin [D] […]
In the state of Arkansas Representative Lee Johnson (R-75) has introduced a bill that would raise the tobacco purchase age to 21 in the state. House Bill 1519 has picked up 17 sponsors including Representatives Fred Allen (D-30), Mary Bentley (R-73), Harlan Breaux (R-97) , Joe Cloud (R-71), Bruce Coleman (R-81), Bruce Cozart (R-24), Brian S. Evans (R-43), David Hillman (R-13), Jasen Kelly (R-28), Fredrick J. Love (D-29), Stephen Magie (D-72), Jay Richardson (D-78), Stu Smith […]
The state of Utah has introduced a bill that would raise the tobacco age to 21. The new bill would raise the age from 19 to 21 over two years. Introduced by Representative Steve Eliason (R-Sandy), HB 324 would raise the tobacco purchase age from 19 to 20 on July 1, 2020 following by another increase to 21 on January 1, 2021. The bill currently sits in the House Rules Committee and the text of […]
Another day, another state has joined the move to raise to tobacco age to 21. This time it’s West Virginia that saw a bill SB348 introduced by Senator Tamejiro Takubo (R). It has been co-sponsored by Senators Michael Maroney (R), Roman Prezioso (D), Ron Stollings (D), Glenn Jeffries (D), Michael Woelfel (D), William Ihlenfeld (D), Stephen Baldwin (D) and Sue Cline (D). The Senate Health and Human Resources Committee has sent the bill to the […]
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has introduced a bill that would lift the Cuban trade embargo and it has already received bi-partisan support being co-signed by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The bill S. 428 was read twice in the 116th Congress on February 7, 2019 and it has been referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. However, details of the bill have yet to be posted online at the Congress […]
You can now add the state of Maryland to the growing list of states looking to raise the tobacco purchase age to 21. The new bill which has been introduced for the 2019 legislative session is sponsored by Dereck Davis (D-25), Talmadge Branch (D-45), Benjamin Brooks (D-10), Michael Busch (D-30A), Pam Queen (D-14) and Kriselda Valderamma (D-26). It will undergo it’s first hearing on February 27th at 1pm. The measure has already received the support […]
In January, Virginia legislatures proposed a bill that would raise the minimum age to buy, sell or posses tobacco from 18 to 21. Now HB 2748 is one step away from becoming law. The bill first passed a Senate vote on Jan 29th with a vote of 32-8. On February 5th, the house voted 67-31 with one abstention to pass the measure as well. The bill is now on its way to the desk Democrat […]