Cigar Tax Proposal Defeated in Joint Finance Committee...

An effort to cap the OTP (Other Tobacco Products) tax at the present 25% died on an 8-8 party line vote last Friday.

The votes for were cast by:

Rep. Kitty Rhoades
Rep. Jeff Stone
Rep. Steve Kestell
Rep. Scott Suder
Rep. Dan Meyer
Rep. Robin Vos
Sen. Alberta Darling
Sen. Luther Olson

The votes against came from:

Sen. Russ Decker
Sen. Dave Hanson
Sen. Bob Jauch
Sen. John Lehman
Sen. Lena Taylor
Sen. Mark Miller
Rep. Mark Pocan
Rep. Pedro Colon

Informed sources indicate that a single Democrat cross-over vote was thwarted by intense pressure at the last minute.

This aspect of the Budget will now go to the floor of both houses and will eventually be decided in a conference committee presuming that the Democrat majority in the Senate upholds the Governor’s Budget and the Republican majority in the Assembly does not.

Our elected representatives need to hear from you. This battle is far from over…unless we fold our tents and bury our heads under the covers. Cigar smokers must unite and separate themselves from the emotions attached to cigarettes.