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Fireworks bill ‘Christmas treed,’ hikes cigarette tax

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The spirit of Santa Claus hovered over the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning, March 11, as members “Christmas treed” a fireworks bill.

“We’ve got everything in this but a new barn for the state fair,” said Sen. Ron Miller, D-Greenbrier. “We’ve loaded up the tree. … There’s something for everybody.” But he worried that some of the gifts might kill the bill.

HB 2646 began and came from the House as a bill to legalize “consumer fireworks” — rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, shells (shot out of tubes) and cakes (with tubes).

The House bill devoted a fireworks safety fee of 20 percent of sales to construction of a veterans nursing home in Beckley via a new Veterans Program Fund.

Here’s how the Senate decorated the tree:

— The fee was reduced to 10 percent, all going to veterans’ fund.

— Consumer fireworks sales are limited to certain sites: Temporary facilities (tents) at veterans’ organizations, licensed retailers and racetracks; permanent licensed retailers and fireworks stores. Tents pay a $500 certificate fee; permanent sites pay $1,000 per year.

— Wrapping in a couple dead bills, the cigarette tax is raised from 55 cents per pack to $1.55 per pack throughout the course of two years — 50 cents each year. This is expected to raise about $130 million per year.

From that, $20 million collected in Fiscal Year 2016 goes toward the veterans’ home. And $20 million collected in FY 2017 will go toward establishing a secure drug treatment center…

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