Wa HB2211 is back

[NancyR]

This is the email I received from WA Vapes over the pending vote monday on the vaping bill in WA

Good Afternoon

Representatives Pollet and Carlisle, have banded together and are pushing HB2211 to the House Finance Executive Committee Meeting on Monday morning at 11:00am (June 8th). There will not be a public hearing – no public testimony allowed. HB2211 contains lots of negative language for our industry, most notably the 60% tax on vapor. If it passes out of Committee, it will end up on the House Floor for a vote. If it passes, the bill will be sent to the Senate for their vote. Bottom line, the vaping bill is back in play and has been resurrected. We have been warning about this potential situation since the end of April.

We still hold lots of power. We still have a good shot at defeating this bill. It will take a strategic and targeted approach to achieve this. We can, and will, do this.

STRATEGY (for those of you living/working in the targeted districts shown below)

• Call the office of each member of the Finance Committee (names/numbers are below)
• Send an email voicing your opposition to HB2211 (email links are below)

PROCESS
“IF" HB2211 is passed, it will go to the Senate which is ruled by a Republican majority and there is strong opposition to any new tax. If it makes it to the Senate, we can not afford to have a “fall off” in our effort on a Call To Action on the Senate side, so please be prepared, be ready and be committed for a "full on effort",not just for this request on the House side.
House Members To Call/Email:

• Reuven Carlyle 360-786-7814 District 36 Washington State Legislature - Member Email
• Joe Fitzgibbon 360-786-7952 District 34 Washington State Legislature - Member Email
• Cindy Ryu 360-786-7880 District 32 Washington State Legislature - Member Email
• Larry Springer 360-786-7822 District 45 Washington State Legislature - Member Email
• Sharon Wylie 360-786-7924 District 49 Washington State Legislature - Member Email
• Steve Tharinger 360-786-7904 District 24 Washington State Legislature - Member Email
• Gerry Pollet 360-786-7886 District 46 Washington State Legislature - Member Email
• June Robinson 360-786-7864 District 38 Washington State Legislature - Member Email

NEED HIGHLY MOTIVATED ACTIVISTS
If the bill makes it to the floor, we will want to ask EVERYONE to call the legislative hotline at 800-562-6000 and simply state you are OPPOSED TO HB2211. Customers, friends, relatives – everyone should call the number. If you are a retailer, you can motivate your customer base to make the calls by offering discounts if they call from the store using their own cell phone, etc., if possible.
Go for it! Once again, our destiny lies in our own efforts to protect what is dear to us. vaping will survive if we continue to fight for our rights to protect it.

Regards,

We Vape – We Vote!
Joe Baba

 

[DrMA]

This is disgusting! don't let the wannabe [HASHTAG]#DeskMurderers[/HASHTAG] get away with taxing the cure for smoking!

 

[Bill Godshall]

It would be helpful if WA vapers and vape shops contacted WA Reps at their district offices today and over the weekend,
which can be found at http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/
and to also contact their office in Olympia (on Monday morning before the 11 AM vote) urging them to oppose HB 2211 and any tax on vapor products.

The phone numbers listed above for WA Reps are in Olympia (not their district offices).

 

[NancyR]

Just got this email update

Attention – Vaping Business Owners

Over the past 24 hours we have learned that some House Republicans are willing to vote for a vape tax in order to produce a "bi-partisan" House budget. Although the actual amendment is not yet public, we understand that it would be somewhere between a 23% - 45% rate, would not apply to existing stock on hand prior to July, and would not apply to stand alone refillable hardware....basically a juice tax. It also appears that there is an effort to link the vape tax to the 19 yr smoking age issue. Rep. Harris, and Rep. Manweller (who is on the Finance Committee) appear to be the principal advocates but are not the only ones. The House GOP appears to be willing to "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”. We can not sit idly by without letting them hear our opposition loud and clear.
CALL TO ACTION – Immediately!
Please have ALL EMPLOYEES and CUSTOMERS call the Hotline at800-562-6000 and state you are OPPOSED TO HB2211 and any new VAPING TAX! We can not afford to let them push us around without a hard push back. There may be one or two more efforts like this during the next couple of weeks, but if we push hard enough now, it might make a big enough difference to “kill the bill” right in it’s tracks.
We will keep you posted as to how this goes, but start lighting up the phones asap!!
Regards,

Joe Baba

 

[2buildawall]

Mt Baker Vapor exit strategy executed. How many more will follow or go out of business altogether?

I could rant on for hours about the "good intentions" with ill effects so many of this states laws have produced but I no longer have the energy for it.

 

[Mtek]

Anyone know what came if this?

 

[NancyR]

they postponed the vote today, so it might come back and it might not

 

[Angus T Rat]

they postponed the vote today, so it might come back and it might not

So are there no more meetings scheduled for the Finance committee in this session? I don't see anything in the future on the legislature web site.

 

[NancyR]

So are there no more meetings scheduled for the Finance committee in this session? I don't see anything in the future on the legislature web site.

I have no idea what may be coming up, but with the history of this bill coming back, expect anything

 

[Bill Godshall]

WA Vape Association's Joe Baba sent out the following e-mail last night.


Good Evening
HB2211 was set up for an Executive Committee vote today. The Chair of the Finance Committee waited nearly 2 hours to tell us (40+ showed up) that they were postponing the vote to bring the bill out of Committee and on to the floor. In other words, they did not have the votes needed to pass the bill along. Certainly good news for us.

We continue to make an impression on our adversaries in Olympia. The outreach from our Coalition has been effective and we simply can not let up. Keep the pressure on. Keep asking customers to make calls. Generally speaking, Tuesdays customers are different than Monday’s, etc., so each day brings us a fresh new base of customers to call the hotline. By now, I know all of you have made the call yourselves, and all your employees as well. If not, Tuesday is another opportunity to get this done.

Legislative Hotline - 800-562-6000 Oppose HB2211 and ANY VAPING TAX. Call takes 1 minute!
We will continue to push hard during this last stretch of the session. We have the ball, we are driving down the field. Let’s not fumble the ball or throw an interception; let’s continue to control the game and march to victory!

 

[2legsshrt]

WA Vape Association's Joe Baba sent out the following e-mail last night.


Good Evening
HB2211 was set up for an Executive Committee vote today. The Chair of the Finance Committee waited nearly 2 hours to tell us (40+ showed up) that they were postponing the vote to bring the bill out of Committee and on to the floor. In other words, they did not have the votes needed to pass the bill along. Certainly good news for us.

We continue to make an impression on our adversaries in Olympia. The outreach from our Coalition has been effective and we simply can not let up. Keep the pressure on. Keep asking customers to make calls. Generally speaking, Tuesdays customers are different than Monday’s, etc., so each day brings us a fresh new base of customers to call the hotline. By now, I know all of you have made the call yourselves, and all your employees as well. If not, Tuesday is another opportunity to get this done.

Legislative Hotline - 800-562-6000 Oppose HB2211 and ANY VAPING TAX. Call takes 1 minute!
We will continue to push hard during this last stretch of the session. We have the ball, we are driving down the field. Let’s not fumble the ball or throw an interception; let’s continue to control the game and march to victory!

Did it took less than a minute. Wasn't sure about giving my home address but thought what the hell. Anything to help.

 

[2legsshrt]

they postponed the vote today, so it might come back and it might not

It will they need the money bad.

 

[Angus T Rat]

It's back on. Finance committee may vote tomorrow June 25 @ 1pm.

 

[NancyR]

yeah I know, this is the bill that just won't die

 

[2legsshrt]

They voted today 10 yes 5 no. Not sure if that was for the whole bill or just the amendments. I got the feeling it was for the whole bill. Wish someone would explain exactly what is going to be taxed.

 

[NancyR]

it is on the whole bill, and sadly unless they changed this part (I haven't read all of the revised), figure if you buy it to vape with it will be taxed. Unlike tobacco taxes they were going after everything on us, batteries, wire, mods, juice.

So now the bill moves on, I have been sick so was unable to be there yesterday but here is the email from WA Vapes

Legislative Hotline - 800-562-6000

Good Evening

WA Vape was present at the House Finance Committee Executive Session today and witnessed the passing of HB2211 first hand. No public testimony allowed; just the same rhetoric as usual about nicotine addiction, protecting youth, raising taxes, banning internet sales, etc.

There are 9 democrats and 7 republicans on the committee. Representative Rykdal is one of the democrats on the Committee but voted NO against the bill, as he has promised all along. He is a trustred friend to our industry, and one we should support and give praise to. In theory, his vote would tie the Committee into a 8:8 vote, which means it would not pass on to the floor. However, two republicans have gone soft on us and the bill passed with 10 Yes votes. Not too surprising, but certainly frustrating.

HB2211 now goes to the Rules Committee and then to the floor, “if” House leadership thinks it has enough votes to pass. The House is ruled by a majority of Democrats, but we are hearing at least 5 have defected against their party and are likely to be in Opposition to HB2211. This makes it possible for us to have an impact and possibly influence the outcome in our favor, if we can convince just a couple more Democrats to oppose this bill.

So…….. As tiring as this process is, please continue to have customers call the HOTLINE to OPPOSE HB2211. For those of you that have offered discounts, etc. to encourage customers to make calls, this topic has recently gained the spotlight in local news. Please note it is NOT ILLEGAL or UNETHICAL to offer discounts or incentives. However it IS ILLEGAL not to report such activity to the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC). A copy of the form you need to fill out and submit is attached for your convenience.

During a recent interview with the News Tribune in Olympia, WA Vape was quoted as saying “I do not like it” and WA Vape never “instructed” retailers to pursue such activity. The typical twisting of comments offered to the media is certainly present here, but please know that I do believe our customer base doesn’t need extra motivation to make the calls as there is usually plenty of passion within vapers to make the calls anyway. Since it is perfectly legal to offer incentives, please make sure you file the appropriate paperwork per the attachment (see this for instructions as well: Washington State Public Disclosure Commission)
Call – Call – Call
If HB2211 makes it to the floor and passes on to the Senate, we will have further commentary for you at that time. Right now – our job is to continue the heat – keep the pressure on – CALL THE HOTLINE!!!!

Regards,

Joe Baba
WA Vape Association
WA Vape Association
10 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite C
Everett, WA 98208
360-348-2029

 

[2buildawall]

Thank you for the update. I have been calling and sending emails for months on this "thing" that will not die.

 

[Angus T Rat]

HB 2211 - 2015-16

FYI. You can also comment on the bill, by selecting the "comment on bill" link at the top of the page linked above. By entering your address it will send the comments to all your reps.

 

[DrMA]

Please note 2 amendments have been approved which have the following effect:

• tax is now set at 45%
• tax only applies to liquids and devices containing liquids (e.g. cigalikes), but not to dry devices & components such as batteries, mods, empty tanks etc.
• no tax on existing inventory

Still in play:

• Indefensible 45% tax on harmless & effective vaping
• Imposes onerous licensing, shipping, and labeling requirements (+ childproof packaging)
• Hands oversight of vaping business to the failed WA liquor control board, including the ability to limit flavors and contents

 

[NancyR]

This is the latest email.

Good Morning

The Governor’s Office just released a short statement that a budget deal has been reached sometime after midnight last night. Specifics have not been released, but it would be hard to believe the Senate would throw us under the bus to cut a deal with the House.

I will send you another email with details and confirmation as soon as I have it. Be ready!!!

Regards,

Joe Baba
WA Vape Association
WA Vape Association
10 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite C
Everett, WA 98208
360-348-2029