http://www.ledgergazette.com/bill-to-regulate-e-cigarettes-clears-california-legislative-hurdle/51892/
Earlier, a bill to raise California’s cigarette tax by $2 per pack was introduced in the state Senate, a hike that supporters say would curb smoking deaths and critics argue would place an unnecessary burden on consumers and small businesses.
California is looking to restore its reputation for agenda-setting tobacco regulation with measures to raise the smoking age to 21, triple per-pack taxes and regulate e-cigarettes the same as conventional products.
Restrictions and taxes in California and elsewhere could chill the growth of that segment and drive people back to conventional cigarettes, which are more harmful, said Glenn Kassel, a board member for the association who founded Freedom Smokeless, which makes components of smokeless products. New York is first with $4.35 a pack.
A rally for the $2-per-pack tax was held Wednesday subsequent to the Capitol by the Save Lives California coalition, made up of teams such because the California Medical Affiliation, the American Most cancers Society, the American Lung Affiliation and the Service Staff Worldwide Union.
The bill says 40,000 Californians die from tobacco-related illness each year. But because of the influence of the tobacco industry, our tobacco tax is among America’s lowest, at 87 cents per pack. Speaking to the L.A. Times, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Jon Coupal said “at a time when state revenue has recovered and the governor says there is even a surplus, there is no reason for a tax increase”.
As a result of tax and charge will increase require the help of two-thirds of lawmakers in each homes of the Legislature, Democrats in search of to boost taxes will need assistance from their GOP colleagues.
If the Legislature fails to enact the tax, he said, the poll results showing 67 percent support for the measure may not mean much if the issue goes to the ballot and voters are bombarded by negative advertising paid for by Big Tobacco.
Normally, these bills would all pass through the Senate Governmental Organization Committee before heading to a floor vote.
Most Republicans opposed the measure, but Sen. Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton and Richard Roth of Riverside broke with their colleagues on some of the measures. Leno, S-San Francisco. “The rate at which middle and high school students are picking up e-cigarettes – before having smoked anything else in their lives – is alarming”.
E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine and the vapor consists of several chemicals, Leno said. The legislation will also make sure e-cigarettes are covered under the 1994 Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act, which has successfully reduced illegal sales of cigarettes to children. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, that would let local governments impose their own tobacco taxes.