TWO Wisconsin Calls to Action from CASAA!

[kristin]

Two bills are being considered in Wisconsin: CASAA: Wisconsin

SUPPORT SB 440: A bill to EXEMPT e-cigarettes from Wisconsin's Clean Indoor Air Act
CASAA: Call to Action! SUPPORT Wisconsin SB 440 EXEMPTING E-cigarettes from public use bans!
If enacted, this bill would:

• Clarify that the use of electronic cigarettes is NOT banned under Wisconsin's Clean Indoor Air Act

Just to reiterate, CASAA supports SB 440 and we strongly encourage vapers and harm reduction advocates to make phone calls, send emails, and testify in support of its passage. This is a great opportunity for your legislators to learn about tobacco harm reduction.

OPPOSE AB 481: A bill to TAX e-cigarettes and other low-risk alternatives at the same rate as traditional cigarettes. and impose other rules.
CASAA: Call to Action! Wisconsin AB 481 taxes e-cigarettes and other smoke-free products as high as cigarettes

If enacted, AB 481 could:

• Redefine "tobacco product" to include, among other things, nicotine-containing liquid for e-cigarettes (and possibly some prefilled devices).
• Impose a tax rate on tobacco products that is the greater of 84 percent (100 percent for moist snuff/snus) of the manufacturer's list price to distributors or an amount equal to the cigarette tax imposed on a pack of 20 cigarettes. (E-cigarette products are currently taxed under the standard sales tax rate of 5.5 percent.)
• Create a new restriction by allowing a retailer to place the cigarettes or tobacco products only in locations that are inaccessible to customers without the assistance of the retailer or the retailer's employee or agent. (CASAA does not oppose reasonable restrictions of this nature so long as the effect isn't to basically force e-cigarettes out of sight.)
• Require consumers who bought e-cigarettes or other tobacco products from out-of-state retailers (that did not collect taxes) to file a return on or before the 15th of each month disclosing what products were purchased and pay any tobacco tax due.
• Due to unclear language, possibly prohibit the sale of single-use, "disposable" e-cigarettes and possibly prohibit the sale of refill cartridges sold in packages containing fewer than 20 single-use units.

 

[oplholik]

"Require consumers who bought e-cigarettes or other tobacco products from out-of-state retailers (that did not collect taxes) to file a return on or before the 15th of each month disclosing what products were purchased and pay any tobacco tax due."

What a pib that would be.

 

[rothenbj]

So if I read this right, the products that are 95-9x% safer than cigarettes could be taxed at a greater rate than cigarettes. That would appear to be just the opposite of what you'd want to do if health were the concerns of government. Doesn't Wisc. already have high smokeless taxes?

 

[kristin]

So if I read this right, the products that are 95-9x% safer than cigarettes could be taxed at a greater rate than cigarettes. That would appear to be just the opposite of what you'd want to do if health were the concerns of government. Doesn't Wisc. already have high smokeless taxes?

Snus (called "moist snuff") is at 100%, but (if I'm reading it correctly) dissolvables and other smokeless will be at 84%.

 

[kristin]

UPDATE: The Thursday public hearing has been postponed, but will be scheduled within two weeks. Please be sure you are registered for email alerts and we will send out the new hearing date and time as soon as we know.

 

[rothenbj]

Snus (called "moist snuff") is at 100%, but (if I'm reading it correctly) dissolvables and other smokeless will be at 84%.

"Impose a tax rate on tobacco products that is the greater of 84 percent (100 percent for moist snuff/snus) of the manufacturer's list price to distributors or an amount equal to the cigarette tax imposed on a pack of 20 cigarettes. (E-cigarette products are currently taxed under the standard sales tax rate of 5.5 percent.)"

I don't know what the Wisc. cigarette tax is but let's us $2.50 a pack. They're proposing a 100% tax on the manufacturers list price. I'm assuming the list price on General brands (or at least what we pay in PA which has no smokeless tax) is about $3.30 for 24 gms of snus. If that is the mfg. list price, the Tax on snus would be nearly $1.00 more than the tobacco product that kills half of those that use it (if you believe the propaganda).

 

[JustJulie]

CASAA has updated the Wisconsin Call to Action for AB 762 and SB 440 (both of which CASAA supports as they would exempt e-cigarettes from state smoking bans):

SB 440 has been set for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor on WEDNESDAY, March 5th, 2014 at 11:30 A.M, Room 411 South (2 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703). Vapers are asked to attend the hearing and offer testimony, as well as call and write members of the Committee.

AB 762 has been set for a hearing before the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations on TUESDAY, March 4th, at 1:00 P.M., Room 328-NW (2 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703). Vapers are asked to attend the hearing and offer testimony, as well as call and write members of the Committee.

Full details regarding both bills, talking points, and contact information is provided in the Call to Action: CASAA: Call to Action! UPDATED: SUPPORT Wisconsin SB 440 and AB 762 EXEMPTING E-cigarettes from public use bans!