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2005 General Session
Two years ago, Wyoming substantially increased taxes on cigarettes, primarily as an effort to discourage young people from starting the nicotine habit, and to encourage smokers to quit. HB 242 would have extended that philosophy to other tobacco products by doubling taxes on cigars, snuff and other tobacco products except cigarettes. The current tax of 20% of wholesale price would have been increased to 40% of wholesale price.
The revenue from this tobacco tax would have gone to Wyoming's substance abuse control plan, aimed at treatment and prevention of substance abuse by Wyoming citizens.
Supporters noted that purchases of cigarettes in Wyoming dropped 17% after taxes were raised from 12 to 60 cents per pack two years ago. Supporters hoped that doubling the tax on other tobacco products would have a similar affect on consumption of those products, and especially hoped it would deter young people from using smokeless tobacco (also known as spit tobacco, chew, or snuff). Supporters included the Wyoming Medical Society, The Wyoming Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the Wyoming Department of Health and the League of Women Voters.
Arguing against the bill were representatives of the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Committee and some legislators, who argued that the tax would be an unfair burden on working class people who would not quit even with the higher tax.
The House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee passed the bill, 5-3 (1 excused).
The House Appropriations Committee passed the bill, 7-1.
The House Revenue Committee passed HB 242, 5-4.
After passing these three committees, Speaker of the House Randall Luthi (R-H21, Freedom) did not schedule the bill for a vote before the House Committee of the Whole, so it dies without a vote of the full chamber.
The votes listed below are the three committee votes on the bill. A YES vote means the legislator supported raising taxes on tobacco products other than cigarettes. A NO vote means the legislator did not support raising tobacco taxes.
| House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee | HB 242 1/27/05 |
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| H 40 | Doug Osborn (R - Buffalo - chairman) | Yes |
| H 49 | Bruce Barnard (R - Evanston) | Yes |
| H 38 | Bob Brechtel (R - Casper) | No |
| H 26 | Elaine Harvey (R - Lovell) | Yes |
| H 39 | John Hastert (D - Green River) | Yes |
| H 29 | Jerry Iekel (R - Sheridan) | Yes |
| H 52 | Burke Jackson (R - Rozet) | Excused |
| H 48 | Marty Martin (D - Rock Springs) | No |
| H 12 | Layton Morgan (D - Cheyenne) | No |
| House Appropriations Committee | Hb 242 2/2/05 |
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| H 34 | Frank Philp (R - Shoshoni - chairman) | No |
| H 51 | Rosie Berger (R - Big Horn) | Yes |
| H 25 | Alan Jones (R - Powell) | Yes |
| H 16 | Pete Jorgensen (D - Jackson) | Yes |
| H 8 | Larry Meuli (R - Cheyenne) | Yes |
| H 19 | Owen Petersen (R - Mountain View) | Yes |
| H 24 | Colin Simpson (R - Cody) | Yes |
| H 13 | Jane Warren (D - Laramie) | Yes |
| House Revenue Committee | HB 242 2/4/05 |
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| H 10 | Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R - Laramie - chairman) | Yes |
| H 47 | Kurt Bucholz (R - Carbon/Albany) | No |
| H 36 | Gerald Gay (R - Natrona) | No |
| H 59 | Mary Meyer Gilmore (D - Natrona) | Yes |
| H 37 | Steve Harshman (R - Natrona) | Yes |
| H 39 | John Hastert (D - Sweetwater) | Yes |
| H 55 | David Miller (R - Fremont) | No |
| H 9 | Bryan Pedersen (R - Laramie) | Yes |
| H 56 | Tom Walsh (R - Natrona) | No |