Steve K's Vaping World

This is a syndicated post, which originally appeared at CASAA. View original post.

Maryland: 316% Increase in Smokeless Tobacco Tax (HB683 / SB700) 

[full text of HB683] [legislative tracking for HB683]
[full text of SB700] [legislative tracking for SB700]

These bills would:
Increase Maryland’s tax on smokeless tobacco products from 30% to 95%.

Please note that this bill would *not* tax e-cigarettes.  

UPDATE (3/10/2013): The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee will hold a hearing to discuss and possibly vote on SB700 on Wednesday, March 13th at 1:15 pm. Public testimony will be allowed from attendees wishing to speak. We strongly encourage advocates to attend and testify this meeting in opposition to the tax increase on smokeless tobacco. If you are planning to testify, please contact us at board@casaa.org.

HB683 had a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, February 28th. A vote has yet to be taken on the bill.

CASAA is requesting that its members send e-mails and make phone calls to members of both the Senate Budget and Taxation and the House Ways and Means Committee.

Please call, write or fax the members of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee & the House Ways and Means Committee below.

1. Let them know that you oppose HB683 and SB700 because they would impose an unnecessary and punitive tax increase on smokeless tobacco products.

2. Tell your story on how switching from cigarettes to a far less hazardous smoke-free tobacco product has changed your life.

3. Explain that the purpose of increasing cigarette tax rates was to reimburse state expenditures for treating the many diseases caused by cigarette smoking.  Because smokeless tobacco products have been found to be around 99% less harmful than cigarettes, there is no justification for such an outrageously excessive tax, which would discourage smokers from switching to a less harmful alternative.

4. Because smokeless tobacco products are taxed at a much lower rate in neighboring states, many or most smokeless tobacco users in MD will travel a short distance to a neighboring state to buy tobacco, which will result in very little tax revenue increase for Maryland.  Adjacent states include:  PA (no smokeless tax), WV (7% of wholesale price), VA (10% of manufacturer’s price) and DE (15% of wholesale price).

5.  Sharply increasing the smokeless tobacco tax rate also will encourage former smokers who had switched to using smokeless tobacco products to return to smoking.

6. Tell them that by switching to a smokeless product, you have greatly reduced your health risks.
 
7. Direct them to the CASAA.org website for more information.

Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Members (to oppose SB700) 

3 West, Miller Senate Building, Annapolis, MD 21401
(410-841-3690 Annapolis/Baltimore or 301-858-3690 Washington, D.C.)

Comma delimited email list:
Edward.Kasemeyer@senate.state.md.us, Nathaniel.McFadden@senate.state.md.us, David.Brinkley@senate.state.md.us, Nancy.King@senate.state.md.us, Richard.Colburn@senate.state.md.us, Richard.Madaleno@senate.state.md.us, Roger.Manno@senate.state.md.us, James.DeGrange@senate.state.md.us, Douglas.Peters@senate.state.md.us, George.Edwards@senate.state.md.us, James.Robey@senate.state.md.us, Verna.Jones@senate.state.md.us

Chair: Edward J. Kasemeyer
Edward.Kasemeyer@senate.state.md.us
3 West Miller Senate Bldg.
11 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
410-841-3653 or 301-858-3653

Verna L. Jones-Rodwell
Verna.Jones@senate.state.md.us
420 Miller Senate Bldg.
11 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
410-841-3612

House Ways and Means Committee Members (to oppose HB683)

Room 131, House Office Building, Annapolis, MD 21401-1912
(410-841-3469 Annapolis/Baltimore or 301-858-3469 Washington, D.C.)

Comma delimited list:
Sheila.Hixson@house.state.md.us, Frank.Turner@house.state.md.us,  Kathy.Afzali@house.state.md.us, Kumar.Barve@house.state.md.us, Joseph.Boteler@house.state.md.us, Talmadge.Branch@house.state.md.us, Jon.Cardin@house.state.md.us, don.dwyer@house.state.md.us, Mark.Fisher@house.state.md.us, Bill.Frick@house.state.md.us,  Ron.George@house.state.md.us, Carolyn.Howard@house.state.md.us, Jolene.Ivey@house.state.md.us, Anne.Kaiser@house.state.md.us, Eric.Luedtke@house.state.md.us, Aruna.Miller@house.state.md.us, LeRoy.Myers@house.state.md.us, Andrew.Serafini@house.state.md.us, Melvin.Stukes@house.state.md.us, Michael.Summers@house.state.md.us, Jay.Walker@house.state.md.us, alonzo.washington@house.state.md.us

Chair: Sheila E. Hixson
Sheila.Hixson@house.state.md.us
131 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3469, (301) 858-3469

Vice Chair: Frank S. Turner
Frank.Turner@house.state.md.us
206 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3246, (301) 858-3246

Kathryn L. Afzali
Kathy.Afzali@house.state.md.us
319 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3288, (301) 858-3288

Kumar P. Barve
Kumar.Barve@house.state.md.us
361 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3464, (301) 858-3464

Joseph C. Boteler III
Joseph.Boteler@house.state.md.us
326 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3365, (301) 858-3365

Talmadge Branch
Talmadge.Branch@house.state.md.us
151 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3398, (301) 858-3398

Jon S. Cardin
Jon.Cardin@house.state.md.us
304 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3833, (301) 858-3833

Don H. Dwyer, Jr.
don.dwyer@house.state.md.us
216 House Office Building
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3047, (301) 858-3047

Mark N. Fisher
Mark.Fisher@house.state.md.us
151 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3231, (301) 858-3231

C. William Frick
Bill.Frick@house.state.md.us
219 House Office Building
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3454, (301) 858-3454

Ron George
Ron.George@house.state.md.us
163 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3439, (301) 858-3439

Carolyn J. B. Howard
Carolyn.Howard@house.state.md.us
301 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3919, (301) 858-3919

Jolene Ivey
Jolene.Ivey@house.state.md.us
207 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3478, (301) 858-3478

Anne R. Kaiser
Anne.Kaiser@house.state.md.us
151 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3036, (301) 858-3036

Eric G. Luedtke
Eric.Luedtke@house.state.md.us
222 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3110, (301) 858-3110

Aruna Miller
Aruna.Miller@house.state.md.us
225 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3090, (301) 858-3090

LeRoy E. Myers, Jr.
LeRoy.Myers@house.state.md.us
215 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3321, (301) 858-3321

Andrew A. Serafini
Andrew.Serafini@house.state.md.us
215 House Office Building
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3447, (301) 858-3447

Melvin L. Stukes
Melvin.Stukes@house.state.md.us
412 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3544, (301) 858-3544

Michael Summers
Michael.Summers@house.state.md.us
203 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3340, (301) 858-3340

Jay Walker
Jay.Walker@house.state.md.us
204 House Office Bldg.
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410) 841-3581, (301) 858-3581

Alonzo T. Washington
alonzo.washington@house.state.md.us
204B House Office Bldg.
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3652, (301) 858-3652