‘Christmas Tree’ bill said harmful in many ways
“This is no longer a fireworks bill, it is not a tobacco tax bill, it is a gambling bill,” said Chuck Hamsher, policy director of the CTFWV. “This legislation is engineered for one purpose – to grant sweeping exemptions for gambling interest from smoking regulations.”
If passed, HB-2646 would:
– Implement a tobacco tax which would have little or no public health impact. By phasing in the tax at a low level over a number of years it simply becomes an annoyance tax to smokers and fails to achieves the public health goal of serving as a deterrent to smoking.
“Above all else HB-2646 is a vehicle to obtain exemptions from clean indoor air regulations,” Hamsher said, “this is a proposal which has twice been rejected this session in House committees. Everything else is just window dressing.”
The bill now goes to the House of Delegates. The legislative session ends at midnight on Saturday.
The CTFWV is a statewide organization made up of private citizens and member organizations representing a cross-section of West Virginia, including health care organizations, public and private businesses, schools, civic organizations and interested individuals.
