Call to Action! North Carolina Proposes Arbitrary Online Sales Restrictions — HB 864 / SB 630

Steve K 04/24/13

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

North Carolina: RJ Reynolds-Sponsored Bill to Restrict Online Sales of E-Cigarettes — HB 864 / SB 630

[legislative tracking / full text for HB 864]
[legislative tracking / full text for SB 530]

If enacted, this bill would:
– Require all retailers of “vapor products” (e-cigarettes) in North Carolina who sell via the Internet to purchase expensive age verification software at a cost of approximately $7,000 a year.

As recently exposed in the Daily Caller, tobacco company R.J. Reynolds has been using its political power in several states to get legislators to submit bills that would ban sales of e-cigarettes to minors.  CASAA supports banning sales of e-cigarettes to minors, but as seen in Oklahoma and Rhode Island, R.J. Reynolds’ bills have sought to do far more than restrict sales to adults.

HB 864 and SB 630 would likely force many small North Carolina businesses who sell e-cigarettes on the Internet to raise their prices or shut down, thus creating an incentive for consumers to use retailers located in other states.  This move comes despite there being no evidence that any significant number of minors are using e-cigarettes, and absolutely no evidence that minors are obtaining e-cigarettes by buying them online. 

HB 864 and SB 630 are both currently awaiting hearings before the House Judiciary Subcommittee B (HB 864) and the Senate Health Care Committee (SB 630). If you are from the North Carolina area and think you could attend and testify at a legislative hearing on this subject, please e-mail us at board@casaa.org with “North Carolina Testimony” in the subject line.

North Carolina Residents: You should also contact your own own representative and senator via e-mail and phone to oppose these bills. Click here to find out who represents you in the North Carolina Legislature.

Please call, write or fax the members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee B and Senate Health Care Committee below and say:

1. You support prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products to minors, but do not support HB 864 and SB 630 in their current form.

2. Express your concern about Section 14-313(b2) of the bill, which would add a new provision to North Carolina law to unnecessarily restrict Internet sales of e-cigarettes.  These provisions would cost North Carolina small businesses more than $7,000 each year.  Additionally, these verification services have high failure rates.

3. Note that it is suspicious that R.J. Reynolds, which does not sell via Internet, is asking North Carolina legislators to regulate Internet sales.  This appears to be a case of R.J. Reynolds acting to protect itself against competition.

4. Explain that the restrictions would place North Carolina e-cigarette vendors at a competitive disadvantage by instituting a system that will impose significant costs for compliance. Note that the legislation would also overly burden consumers by requiring a verification be performed every time a customer buys from a vendor.

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5. Tell the legislators that restrictions on online sales were instituted because online sales were being used to evade taxes. Because e-cigarettes are not taxed in North Carolina, there is no reason to implement such an onerous provision. 
6. Explain that these restrictions  only serve to protect the market share of cigarette companies.

Comma delimited email lists:

House Subcommittee on Judiciary B (to oppose HB 864): hope.chadwick@ncleg.net, jonathan.jordan@ncleg.net, chuck.mcgrady@ncleg.net, john.faircloth@ncleg.net, rick.glazier@ncleg.net, pat.hurley@ncleg.net, mickey.michaux@ncleg.net, paul.stam@ncleg.net, rob.bryan@ncleg.net, debra.conrad@ncleg.net, leo.daughtry@ncleg.net, valerie.foushee@ncleg.net, joe.queen@ncleg.net, bobbie.richardson@ncleg.net, stephen.ross@ncleg.net, jason.saine@ncleg.net

Senate Health Care Committee (to oppose SB 630):  ralph.hise@ncleg.net, louis.pate@ncleg.net, jeff.tarte@ncleg.net, austin.allran@ncleg.net, chad.barefoot@ncleg.net, stan.bingham@ncleg.net, david.curtis@ncleg.net, don.davis@ncleg.net, jim.davis@ncleg.net, fletcher.hartsell@ncleg.net, neal.hunt@ncleg.net, ellie.kinnaird@ncleg.net, floyd.mckissick@ncleg.net, earline.parmon@ncleg.net, ron.rabin@ncleg.net, shirley.randleman@ncleg.net, gladys.robinson@ncleg.net, bob.rucho@ncleg.net, josh.stein@ncleg.net, tommy.tucker@ncleg.net, trudy.wade@ncleg.net, mike.woodard@ncleg.net

Members of the House Subcommittee on Judiciary B (to oppose HB 864)

Rep Jonathan  Jordan (R) (District 93)
(Represents portions of Ashe and Watauga County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 420
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: 919-733-7727
Home Phone: 336-846-1657
Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net

Rep. Chuck McGrady (R) (District 117)
(Represents portions of Henderson County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 419B
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: 919-733-5956
Home Phone: 828-692-3696
Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net

Rep. John Faircloth (R) (District 61)
(Represents portions of Guilford County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 613
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: 919-733-5877
Home Phone: 336-841-4137
John.Faircloth@ncleg.net

Rep. Rick Glazier (D) (District 44)
(Represents portions of Cumberland County)
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1021
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Office Phone: 919-733-5601
Home Phone: 910-484-4168
Rick.Glazier@ncleg.net

Rep. Pat  Hurley (R) (District 70)
(Represents portions of Randolph County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 532
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: 919-733-5865
Home Phone: 336-625-9210
Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net

Rep.  Henry  Michaux, Jr. (D) (District 31)
(Represents portions of Durham County)
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1227
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Office Phone: 919-715-2528
Home Phone: 919-596-8181
Mickey.Michaux@ncleg.net

Rep.  Paul Stam (R) (District 37)
(Represents portions of Wake County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 612
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: 919-733-2962
Home Phone: 919-362-8873
Paul.Stam@ncleg.net

Rep.  Rob Bryan (R)  (District 88)
(Represents portions of Mecklenburg County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 536
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone : 919-733-5607
Home Phone : 704-331-4995
Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net

Rep.  Debra Conrad (R) (District 74)
(Represents portions of Forsyth County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 606
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: 919-733-5787
Home Phone: 336-760-9653
Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net

Rep.  N. Leo Daughtry (R) (District 26)
(Represents portions of Johnston County)
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2207
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Office Phone: 919-733-5605
Home Phone: 919-934-7265
Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net

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Rep.  Valerie  Foushee (D) (District 50)
(Represents portions of Durham and  Orange County)
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1111
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Office Phone: 919-715-3019
Home Phone: 919-942-2661
Valerie.Foushee@ncleg.net

Rep.  Joe Sam Queen (D) (District 117)
(Represents portions of Haywood, Jackson and  Swain County)
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1017
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Office Phone: 919-715-3005
Home Phone: 828-452-4286
Joe.Queen@ncleg.net

Rep.  Bobbie Richardson (D) (District 7)
(Represents portions of Franklin and  Nash County)
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1209
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Office Phone: 919-715-3032
Home Phone: 919-853-3617
Bobbie.Richardson@ncleg.net

Rep.  Stephen  Ross (R) (District 63)
(Represents portions of Alamance County)
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1010
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Office Phone: 919-733-5820
Home Phone: 336-269-3704
Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net

Rep. Jason Saine (R) (District 97)
(Represents portions of Lincoln County)
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 402
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: 919-733-5782
Home Phone: 704-479-1803
Jason.Saine@ncleg.net

Members of the Senate Health Care Committee (to oppose SB 630)

Senator Ralph Hines (R) (District 47)
(Represents portions of Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Yancey County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1026
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 733-3460
Home Phone: (828) 766-8329
Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net

Senator Louis Pate (R)  (District 7)
(Represents portions of  Lenoir, Pitt and Wayne County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1028
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 733-5621
Home Phone: (919) 658-3637
Louis.Pate@ncleg.net

Senator Jeff Tarte (R) (District 47)
(Represents portions of Mecklenburg County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2115
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 715-3050
Home Phone: (704) 765-6167
Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net

Senator Austin  Allran (R) (District 42)
(Represents portions of Alexander and  Catawba County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 625
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-5876
Home Phone: (828) 322-1410
Austin.Allran@ncleg.net

Senator Chad Barefoot (R) (District 18)
(Represents portions of  Franklin and  Wake County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 623
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 715-3036
Home Phone: (919) 715-3036
Chad.Barefoot@ncleg.net

Senator Stan Bingham (R) (District 33)
(Represents portions of Davidson and  Montgomery County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2117
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 733-5665
Home Phone: (336) 859-0999
Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net

Senator David L. Curtis (R) (District 44)
(Represents portions of Gaston, Iredell and Lincoln County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 410
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 715-3038
Home Phone: (704) 483-2263
David.Curtis@ncleg.net

Senator Don Davis (D) (District 5)
(Represents portions of Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and  Wayne County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 518
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 715-8363
Home Phone: (252) 747-2385
Don.Davis@ncleg.net

Senator Jim Davis (R) (District 50)
(Represents portions of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and  Swain County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2111
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 733-5875
Home Phone: (828)342-4483
Jim.Davis@ncleg.net

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Senator Fletcher  Hartsell, Jr. (R) (District 36)
(Represents portions of  Cabarrus and  Union County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 300-C
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-7223
Home Phone: (704) 786-5161
Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net

Senator Neal Hunt (R) (District 15)
(Represents portions of Wake County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 309
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-5850
Home Phone: (919) 781-3464
Neal.Hunt@ncleg.net

Senator Eleanor Kinnaird (D) (District 23)
(Represents portions of Chatham and  Orange County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 628
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-5804
Home Phone: (919) 918-3432
Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net

Senator Floyd  McKissick, Jr. (D) (District 20)
(Represents portions of Durham and Granville County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 516
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-4599
Home Phone: (919) 490-5373
Floyd.McKissick@ncleg.net

Senator Earline  Parmon (D) (District 32)
(Represents portions of Forsyth County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 519
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-5620
Home Phone: (336) 767-7395
Earline.Parmon@ncleg.net

Senator Ronald  Rabin (R) (Distrcit 12)
(Represents portions of Harnett, Johnston and  Lee County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 526
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-5748
Home Phone: (919) 733-5748
Ron.Rabin@ncleg.net

Senator Shirley  Randleman (R) (Distrcit 30)
(Represents portions of Stokes, Surry, Wilkes County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 308
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-5743
Home Phone: (336) 921-2043
Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net

Senator Gladys  Robinson (D) (District 28)
(Represents portions of Guilford County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1120
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 715-3042
Home Phone: (919) 715-3042
Gladys.Robinson@ncleg.net

Senator Bob Rucho (R) (District 39)
(Represents portions of Mecklenburg County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 300-A
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-5655
Home Phone: (919) 733-5655
Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net

Senator Josh Stein (D) (District 16)
(Represents portions of Wake County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1113
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 715-6400
Home Phone: (919) 715-6400
Josh.Stein@ncleg.net

Senator Tommy Tucker (R) (District 35)
(Represents portions of Union County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 311
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-7659
Home Phone: (704) 243-6695
Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net

Senator Trudy Wade (R) (District 27)
(Represents portions of Guilford County)
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2106
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Office Phone: (919) 733-5856
Home Phone: (336) 323-6480
Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net

Senator Mike Woodard (D) (District 22)
(Represents portion of Caswell, Durham and  Person County)
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 515
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Office Phone: (919) 733-4809
Home Phone: (919) 599-5143
Mike.Woodard@ncleg.net

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