Latest Tobacco Bill Would Raise Tax $1.50 per Pack
Date: 14-02-2013
[MMA News Now, Feb. 14, 2013] Another week at the Legislature, another bill is introduced proposing raising the tax on tobacco. The newest bill (HF 509), sponsored by Rep. Thomas Huntley (DFL-Duluth), proposes increasing the tax by $1.50 per pack.
Unlike the bills that have preceded it, the Huntley legislation calls for using the added revenue to support health care through such avenues as the Health Care Access Fund, Medical Education and Research Costs (MERC) funding, physician loan forgiveness grants and Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) funding.
The MMA has identified raising the tobacco tax a key priority during the session. “Study after study has shown that raising the price of tobacco is the most effective way to prevent young people from starting and to get adults to quit smoking,” said Eric Dick, MMA’s manager of state legislative affairs. “It’s an added bonus that the revenue generated in Rep. Huntley’s bill would go to health care programs.”
Previous bills this session have varied the amount of the tax from $1.29 to $1.60 per pack. Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed budget calls for an increase of 94 cents per pack.
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