Sens. Durbin & Lautenberg introduce "Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2012" (S. 3081) to increase tax on OTP

[Bill Godshall]

On Friday, Democrat Senators .... Durbin and Frank Lautenberg introduced legislation (S. 3081), the "tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2012", that would "equalize" the Federal excise tax on all tobacco products at the same per unit level as that on cigarettes.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

The text of this bill is not yet available on THOMAS (Library of Congress)

It appears that this bill would sharply increase the federal tax rate on smokeless tobacco products and some other OTP, but don't know if e-cigarettes are included.

 

[seabs]

Didn't they try this last year and it went nowhere?

 

[NC_Fog]

Seems that they are coming at us from all sides. I'm so glad they don't have anything else to worry about...lol.

 

[Stubby]

This was the bill from 2011 as S 1403

IDEA Full Funding Act (S. 1403) - GovTrack.us

That one appears to have died. Don't know if this is essentially the same thing as the text is not available as of yet. I know S 1403 had the potential to tax e-cigs. I would guess this would have the same massive tax increase for smokeless tobacco.

I'll pop a snus and say cheers to a quick death.....

 

[Bill Godshall]

Here are two articles about S. 3081
http://www.cspnet.com/news/tobacco/...oduce-legislation-close-tobacco-tax-loopholes
http://www.cspnet.com/news/tobacco/articles/ryo-equality-could-cost-cigar-sales

But since the text of S. 3081 is not yet available, these news articles are of questionable value.

Ironically, S. 3081 has just three sponsors (Durbin, Lautenberg & Blumenthal), all of whom are among the 16 Democrats who cosponsored S. 1403 last year. Both bills have been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, where they will probably sit until the end of the Congressional session later this year.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Here's the press release from Durbin's office
Durbin, Lautenberg, Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Close Tobacco Tax Loopholes - Press Releases - Press Office - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin

 

[bnrkwest]

Geez it just never ends, this onslaught of regulation. Does anyone else get the feeling we are the largest group of people getting targeted and smacked around? First as smokers we under all sorts of regulations, then can't smoke here or there, so ok then we quit and start vaping and they are still after us! Geez give us a break! LOL bnrk

 

[bnrkwest]

Here's the press release from Durbin's office
Durbin, Lautenberg, Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Close Tobacco Tax Loopholes - Press Releases - Press Office - U.S. Senator .... Durbin

AT least no mention of ecigs here. bnrk

 

[NC_Fog]

The only truthful thing in the whole press release..."$4 billion in revenue over 5 years."

 

[MaxUT]

They don't give a damn about our health, they just want more of our freedom and money.

 

[sqirl1]

heh. good luck on that one. if 1403 didn't make it this sure as hell won't. not saying don't oppose this just as vigorously, but this doesn't even have the "vote for it or we'll say you hate disabled children" factor that the last one did. and they better be 100% sure obama is going to get re-elected or this will never pass, and if it goes through BEFORE the election you better believe that Obama will be gone. hopefully these 2 clowns will be when they're up for re-election. Anybody know when that will be? Idiots like these don't deserve to be in the senate.

 

[martinc]

Simple,people with just enough money to harm themselves will.

remove that factor from the equation and everybody will live happily a long,productive tax paying life!

 

[Bill Godshall]

The Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2012 (S. 3081) introduced by Sens. Durbin, Lautenberg and Blumenthal is now available at
Bill Text - 112th Congress (2011-2012) - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

The bill would protect cigarette markets and threaten consumer and public health by taxing e-cigarettes, dissolvables, snus and all other smokefree tobacco alternatives at the same rate as far more hazardous cigarettes. Would also increase cigar and pipe tobacco tax rates.

Unlike the other tobacco tax bill (S. 1403) at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:S.1403: that these same guys introduced last year (along with 13 other Democrat Senators) to tax e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco at the same rate as cigarettes (as delineated at http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...eless-tobacco-tax-increase-6.html#post3902461 ), S. 3081 would simply allocate all new tax revenue into the general budget.

Perhaps Durbin, Lautenberg and Blumenthal realized they didn't have much support for excessively taxing smokefree tobacco products and give all the tax revenue to further fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

 

[Luisa]

heh. good luck on that one. if 1403 didn't make it this sure as hell won't. not saying don't oppose this just as vigorously, but this doesn't even have the "vote for it or we'll say you hate disabled children" factor that the last one did. and they better be 100% sure obama is going to get re-elected or this will never pass, and if it goes through BEFORE the election you better believe that Obama will be gone. hopefully these 2 clowns will be when they're up for re-election. Anybody know when that will be? Idiots like these don't deserve to be in the senate.

Unfortunately,Lautenburg has a few more years in his term--but he is getting old. I am not sure but I think Durbin is up for reelection. The vapors from his State really need to get out and vote for his opponent. I will check to see for sure if he is running this cycle.

 

[Luisa]

Unfortunately,Lautenburg has a few more years in his term--but he is getting old. I am not sure but I think Durbin is up for reelection. The vapors from his State really need to get out and vote for his opponent. I will check to see for sure if he is running this cycle.

Unfortunately,Durbin is not up for reelection this year nor is Blumenthal of Conn. Blast!

 

[DC2]

The bill would protect cigarette markets and threaten consumer and public health by taxing e-cigarettes, dissolvables, snus and all other smokefree tobacco alternatives at the same rate as far more hazardous cigarettes. Would also increase cigar and pipe tobacco tax rates.

Okay, what do we need to do?

 

[sqirl1]

The Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2012 (S. 3081) introduced by Sens. Durbin, Lautenberg and Blumenthal is now available at
Bill Text - 112th Congress (2011-2012) - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

The bill would protect cigarette markets and threaten consumer and public health by taxing e-cigarettes, dissolvables, snus and all other smokefree tobacco alternatives at the same rate as far more hazardous cigarettes. Would also increase cigar and pipe tobacco tax rates.

Unlike the other tobacco tax bill (S. 1403) at Bill Text - 112th Congress (2011-2012) - THOMAS (Library of Congress) that these same guys introduced last year (along with 13 other Democrat Senators) to tax e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco at the same rate as cigarettes (as delineated at http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...eless-tobacco-tax-increase-6.html#post3902461 ), S. 3081 would simply allocate all new tax revenue into the general budget.

Perhaps Durbin, Lautenberg and Blumenthal realized they didn't have much support for excessively taxing smokefree tobacco products and give all the tax revenue to further fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

the reasons you mentioned are exactly why this will never pass in the current congress at least. If the extra pressure of funding IDEA wouldn't do it, a bill that just adds it to the general budget sure as hell won't.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Even if the Democrat controlled Senate approves either of these tax bills, I'd be shocked if the Republican controlled House would allow either bill to be voted on. And I doubt if sixty Senators would support either bill, so neither is likely to pass the Senate.