Urgent! Michigan SB 1018 - committee hearing scheduled for Sept. 24. Please attend!

[y cherry y]

SB 1018 has been set for a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 12:30 pm, Room 210, Farnum Building, 125 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48933 (Scott Jones, Committee Clerk, 373-5307).

Michigan vapers and harm reduction advocates are strongly encouraged to attend the committee hearing to offer testimony -- or to show solidarity with those who do -- in opposition to SB 1018. (As a sign of respect, we ask you to please refrain from vaping in the committee room.)

If you haven't already, please participate in the Michigan Call to Action linked below.

CASAA: Call to Action: Michigan Legislators are Considering an Excise Tax on E-Cigarettes

 

[mardin315]

Attention Michigan Vendors and Vapers
There is a Senate Finance meeting on 9/24 THIS WEDNESDAY!!!
12:00 PM
Room 210, Farnum Building,
125 W. Allegan Street,
Lansing, MI 48933
Speak out to stop unreasonable taxes on our products!
SB 1018 will add .15 cents per 1.5 ML Tax to e-liquid. We need you to come to this meeting dressed in your Sunday best to represent the community, even if you don't want to speak, the numbers are a message. You have the power to show this bill is not what the community wants. We are trying to get a head count so please email jbarnett@thevapingmilitia.org if you plan to attend. Please share this where you know other vapers and vendors will see it

 

[y cherry y]

From CASAA:

9/19/14 URGENT Update for MICHIGAN: SB 1018 is no longer on the agenda for Wednesday, September 24, 2014. We will continue to update the Michigan Call to Action as more information becomes available. The bill is still in play, and vapers still need to participate in the Michigan Call to Action.

 

[JimmyDB]

Michigan Vapers!

As you know, SB1018 is still very much in play. In fact, our information is that SB1018 may be amended and introduced in the Senate Government Operations Committee or return to the Finance Committee, where the hope is that it will enjoy stronger support. Moreover, what was once a relatively modest sin tax now appears to be morphing into a punitive wholesale tax of 32%.

Please take 5 minutes today to call your governor and help him understand why this is harmful to current and future ex-smokers in Michigan.

We have also included additional contact info for residents living in districts of the Government Operations Cmte. and Finance Cmte. members. If you live in one of these districts, it is imperative that you reach out to your senator. Today!

Take Action

Thank You!

- Alex Clark (CASAA, Legislative Director)

I already called this morning and left a message... I suggest we all call and leave messages. It allows us to say something to them TWICE... once in the message and then again when either they call back or we call them back. Also, it would be nice to have them going through the messages one after the next!

 

[Bill Godshall]

Up in Smoke? E-cigarette firms resist bill to regulate tobacco-free products the same as traditional smokes.
Up In Smoke? E-cigarette firms resist bill to regulate tobacco-free products the same as traditional smokes

MI e-cig tax/regulation bill (SB 1018) sponsored by lame duck legislator threatens e-liquid manufacturer and vape shops, protects cigarettes.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/billintroduced/Senate/htm/2014-SIB-1018.htm

While the likelihood of this MI e-cig tax and regulation bill being enacted before the end of this year's MI legislative session are very low and declining daily (because the bill's sole sponsor is a lame duck), it would be wise for MI vapers and vape shop owners to contact MI Senators urging rejection of SB 1018 (just to make sure, and to prevent e-cig tax bills from being introduced in 2015).

 

[Bill Godshall]

CASAA CTA opposing SB 1018 in Michigan is at
http://blog.casaa.org/2014/08/call-to-action-michigan-legislators-are.html

 

[y cherry y]

Up in Smoke? E-cigarette firms resist bill to regulate tobacco-free products the same as traditional smokes.
Up In Smoke? E-cigarette firms resist bill to regulate tobacco-free products the same as traditional smokes

MI e-cig tax/regulation bill (SB 1018) sponsored by lame duck legislator threatens e-liquid manufacturer and vape shops, protects cigarettes.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/billintroduced/Senate/htm/2014-SIB-1018.htm

While the likelihood of this MI e-cig tax and regulation bill being enacted before the end of this year's MI legislative session are very low and declining daily (because the bill's sole sponsor is a lame duck), it would be wise for MI vapers and vape shop owners to contact MI Senators urging rejection of SB 1018 (just to make sure, and to prevent e-cig tax bills from being introduced in 2015).

Looks like Sen. Richardville is auditioning for a lobbying job with Altria.

 

[Bill Godshall]

y cherry y wrote

Looks like Sen. Richardville is auditioning for a lobbying job with Altria.

I had heard that Richardville subsequently told the MI ANTZ that he planned to increase his originally proposed $.10/ml tax on vapor products, and that Altria, Reynolds and Lorillard weren't pleased.

 

[y cherry y]

y cherry y wrote


No, but he might be auditioning for a lobbying job with the ACS, AHA, ALA in MI.

Richardville threw Altria, Reynolds and Lorillard under his bus in the summer by proposing to increase his originally proposed tax of $.10/ml to a 32% tax on all vapor products. Hopefully, Altria, Reynolds and Lorillard learned their lesson (as they convinced Richardville to propose the bill to tax e-liquid at $.10/ml, but they staunchly oppose Richardville's subsequent proposal of a 32% tax on MarkTen, Vuse and blu due to ANTZ opposition of his original tax bill).

Aha. So is this a new bill, not SB 1018?

 

[Bill Godshall]

As introduced, SB 1018 would impose the following tax scheme (and note that a $.15 tax on 1.5 ml of e-liquid is the same as a $.10/ml tax).

(g) Beginning EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN THIS
SUBDIVISION, BEGINNING July 1, 2004, for cigars, noncigarette
smoking tobacco, and smokeless tobacco OTHER THAN ALTERNATIVE
NICOTINE PRODUCTS AND VAPOR PRODUCTS, 32% of the wholesale price.
However, beginning November 1, 2012 and through October 31, 2016,
the amount of tax levied under this subdivision on cigars shall not
exceed 50 cents per individual cigar. HOWEVER, BEGINNING JANUARY 1,
2015, MOIST SNUFF SHALL BE TAXED AT THE RATE DESCRIBED IN
SUBDIVISION (H)(i).
(H) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2015, THE TAX ON MOIST SNUFF,
ALTERNATIVE NICOTINE PRODUCTS, AND VAPOR PRODUCTS SHALL BE AS
FOLLOWS:
(i) FOR MOIST SNUFF, 53 CENTS PER OUNCE AND A PROPORTIONATE
RATE ON ALL FRACTIONS OF AN OUNCE.
(ii) FOR VAPOR PRODUCTS, 15 CENTS PER 1.5 MILLILITERS AND A
PROPORTIONATE RATE ON ALL FRACTIONS OF 1.5 MILLILITERS.
(iii) FOR ALTERNATIVE NICOTINE PRODUCTS, 15 CENTS PER 500
MILLIGRAMS AND A PROPORTIONATE RATE ON ALL FRACTIONS OF 500
MILLIGRAMS.

My most recent post (that I've corrected, but that remains in cherry's cut and paste above) inaccurately stated that Richardville said he was going to amend his bill to increase the vapor product tax to 32% (as the 32% tax is the current tax on smokeless that would be eliminated by his bill).

But I'm pretty certain I heard that Richardville said he was planning to amend his bill to increase the vapor tax.

Regardless, time is rapidly running out on Richardville's Senate career, and lame duck legislators (including leaders) typically lose much of their legislative influence. I just don't see how SB 1018 could be approved by at least one Senate committee, the full Senate, at least one House committee, and then the full House during the last (i.e. next) several weeks of MI's legislative session.