Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose SF 2025 that would enact a 30 cent per ml tax on vapor products

[JustJulie]

SF 2025 would significantly raise taxes on all e-liquid consumers in Minnesota by imposing a 30 cent per ml tax on e-cigarette liquid. Imagine paying an extra $9 on your next 30 ml bottle of e-liquid. While Minnesota’s existing system of taxation for e-cigarettes is inappropriate, this taxation system will raise your costs and should be rejected.

This bill has been referred to the Senate Taxes Committee and could be set for a hearing as early as next week. The Taxes Committee generally meets Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM in Saint Paul, so if you are able to attend, please be ready for an early morning.

Please take 3 minutes to send a fully editable email urging your senator to oppose this bill.

• Oppose an Increase in Vapor Taxes in Minnesota
  
  • Send an Email

If you live in a district represented by someone on the committee, you will receive an additional alert prompting you to take action. It is vitally important that you especially take action due to the fact that legislators consider the views of their constituents with greater weight.

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(Writing Tip #1) If you have a lot to say, please craft your email in a separate word doc and then copy/paste it into the field provided. If you take too long, they system will time out and you will lose your work.

(Writing Tip #2) Although we've provided a prewritten email with compelling talking points, we would strongly encourage you to edit the email because personalized communications to legislators are far more persuasive than form letters. At a minimum, PLEASE INSERT YOUR PERSONAL STORY (just a few sentences) in the text of your email.

Link to Call to Action: CASAA: Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose SF 2105 that would enact a 30 cent per ml tax on vapor products

 

[zachdelaro]

signed sealed and delivered

left my story of how quitting cigarettes has benefited recent changes in my life and that no one should be blocked or discouraged from finding a harm reducing smoking alternative

 

[JustJulie]

We've updated the Call to Action to include a second campaign, this one for HF 2182: Send a Message

If you've already participated in the Call to Action for SF 2025, please take a moment to send an email for HF 2182. And if you lie in Minnesota and haven't done either . . . get busy.

Link to updated CTA: CASAA: Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose SF 2025 that would enact a 30 cent per ml tax on vapor products

 

[JustJulie]

Also, MNVA has updated its Call to Action to note:

The Senate Taxes Committee has scheduled SF2025 for a hearing. The committee will meet beginning at 8:30AM on Wednesday, April 15th at the State Capitol, Room 15. If you are able to attend this hearing to oppose the massive tax increase on e-liquid, please do so.

We'll be sending out emails to our Minnesota members this weekend to let them know about the hearing. If you can attend, please do so.

 

[JustJulie]

(Update - 04.15.15)

HF 2182 has been scheduled for an informal hearing on THURSDAY, April 16th at 10:15 AM in the House Taxes Committee. Although public testimony will not be heard, Minnesota Vapers Advocacy invites you to join them for a rally at the capitol. The gathering begins at 9:45 AM. In the interim, please continue to send emails urging lawmakers to oppose this bill.

SF 2025 has been taken off of the schedule for 4-15-15 Senate Taxes Committee hearing. However, this is not an indication that the bill is dead. It is still quite possible that SF 2025 will be rescheduled at a later date. Please continue to send emails urging lawmakers to oppose this bill.



Please take 3 minutes to send two fully editable emails urging your lawmakers to oppose these bills.

• Oppose an Increase in Vapor Taxes in Minnesota
  
  • Oppose SF 2025 - Send an Email
    
  • Oppose HF 2182 - Send an Email
    

 

[JustJulie]

Sunday, 4-19-15:

Heads up . . . new Call to Action . . . same lipstick, but on a different pig . . .

The vapor tax* language from HF 2182 has been added to an amendment that will be offered in the House Taxes Committee for HF 848. Public testimony will be heard.


This hearing is scheduled for

MONDAY, April 20th
12:00 PM
10 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN​

If adopted, this amendment would:

• Enact a 30 cent per milliliter tax on eliquid*
  
• Include devices and hardware in the state’s definition of “tobacco products.”

Please take action NOW by sending a message** to your state representative urging them to oppose this amendment.

• Oppose Vapor Taxes in MN - Send an Email

*Currently the tax on e-liquid in Minnesota is a 95% wholesale tax on nicotine. By altering the statute to tax the “consumable product” instead of just the nicotine contained in e-liquid, makes this is a huge increase.


** If you are a member of MNVA or any other state THR Advocacy association, please include that in the closing of your email as well.

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(Writing Tip #1) If you have a lot to say, please craft your email in a separate word doc and then copy/paste it into the field provided. If you take too long, they system will time out and you will lose your work.
(Writing Tip #2) Although we've provided a prewritten email with compelling talking points, we would strongly encourage you to edit the email because personalized communications to legislators are far more persuasive than form letters. At a minimum, PLEASE INSERT YOUR PERSONAL STORY (just a few sentences) in the text of your email.

Link to new Call to Action: CASAA: Minnesota Call to Action: Oppose an unjustifiable tax hike on vapor products (HF 848 Amendment)