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Capitol confidential » New bill on Native American cigarette sales 

Tribal representatives who hated the original version will dislike this one too.

The anti-smoking lobby is still trying to figure out whether the bill is an improvement. The goal is the same - to collect hundreds of millions of dollars a year not currently picked up because Native American stores do not collect or remit excise and sales taxes.

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DRAFT August, 15, 2008 (PDF) 

On January 3, 2008, Governor Haley Barbour announced the creation of a public-private Blue Ribbon Tax Study Commission (the Commission) developed to study Mississippi’s tax code and recommend reforms. Nationally, state tax systems are becoming obsolete and are not keeping up with the ever-changing United States economy. Piecemeal updates are no longer sufficient and comprehensive examinations are needed. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 37 states have conducted tax studies since 2000 to revisit how they assess taxes on their people.

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• DRAFT REPORT OF TAX STUDY COMMISSION AVAILABLE AT WWW.GOVERNORBARBOUR.COM 

A draft report of Governor Haley Barbour's special tax study commission has been posted online, allowing more public access and input before initial votes are taken next week.

The draft report can be accessed on the home page of the Governor's website . . .

The Governor said any adjustments in the state tax code should complement federal and local tax codes in providing a stable source of revenue for essential public services while encouraging economic growth and job creation.

To view a copy of the draft report of the Tax Study Commission, click here.

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Commission: Cut income tax, hike tax on cigarettes 

A draft report from a tax study commission created by Gov. Haley Barbour recommends increasing the cigarette tax and reducing the income tax, but does not mention the tax on groceries.

Barbour's office made the draft report available via his official Web page in advance of an anticipated final vote on the report later this month.

The governor said he wanted the public to have the opportunity for input before the final vote because "taxes have a profound impact on the well-being of Mississippi's families, so keeping the public as involved as possible during this process was crucial to its overall success."

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Smoking doubles stroke risk in younger women 

Younger women who smoke have more than double the risk of stroke compared to nonsmokers, with the heaviest smokers among them having nine times the risk, according to a U.S. study published on Thursday.

The research assessed stroke risk in women 15 to 49 years old who smoked cigarettes. Current smokers were 2.6 times as likely to have a stroke than women who never smoked, according to researchers led by Dr. John Cole of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Women who smoked the most faced the highest increased risk, said the study, published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.

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Heavy smoking increases stroke risk 

Women who are heavy smokers have nine times the risk of having a stroke compared to non-smokers.

According to new US research based on women aged 15 to 49 years, those who smoke were 2.6 times as likely to have a stroke compared to women that had never smoked.

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Could Tobacco Tax Be Passed Before '09 Regular Session? 

Now the question remains -- will another special session be called to passed the tax or will lawmakers wait until next year?

"The larger the amount the more lives that will be saved," said Kimberly Hughes, American Cancer Society of Mississippi.

It's been seven years Kimberly Hughes says the American Cancer Society and communities for a clean bill of health have fought for an increase in the cigarette tax. Last raised in 1985, Mississippi's tax is still the third lowest in the country. But that might soon end.

"I have read several reports as well, by the end of the 2009 legislative session we should see a tax increase," said Hughes.

And that doesn't sit well with smokers.

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Lawmaker doubles his proposed cigarette tax hike 

A pack of cigarettes would cost $1 more under a proposal being floated by a conservative lawmaker who wants to make smoking less affordable and punish tobacco companies that he says helped bury a bill earlier this year that would have raised the tax by only 50 cents a pack. "I told the tobacco (companies), 'If you screw with it - if anything happens - I'm doubling it and bringing it back,"' said Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton. Ray introduced a bill late in the legislative session that ended March 5 that would have increased the tax from 69 cents to $1.19 pack, a 72 percent increase. Nationally, the average tax is $1.18 per pack.

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War on cigarette butts to get serious in Oakland  

A national program aimed at reducing the spread of cigarette butts cluttering the nation's streets has made its way to Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.

Keep America Beautiful Inc., the country's largest volunteer-based community action and education nonprofit, has expanded its Cigarette Litter Prevention Program to include the Koreatown and Temescal Telegraph business improvement districts.

The program -- funded through private and corporate donations, including from cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris USA -- supports communities looking to clean up the clutter by installing ash receptacles, educating smokers about the environmental impact of cigarette litter and passing out free pocket ashtrays to adult smokers.

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Banned, but choc cigarettes creep back  

CONFECTIONERY cigarettes designed to appeal to children are making a return to stores in NSW, despite being banned in the state almost a decade ago.

The French Catcher "cigarettes", made from chocolate, individually wrapped in white cigarette paper and packaged in retro-style soft-top cartons similar to those used for real cigarettes, are being imported and distributed by a Hornsby company, Universal Candy.

Under NSW legislation, the distribution and sale of all confectionery, toy and trick cigarettes have been prohibited since 1999. But there are no laws against the products' sale in Victoria and Queensland.

Contacted by the Herald yesterday, Universal Candy's owner, who would give his name only as Justin, said he stopped importing Catcher "months ago". However, consignments may have been distributed to wholesalers in the states where the ban does not apply and sent back to NSW.

"But that's got nothing to do with me," he said.

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Analyst: Miss. should consider income tax credit 

Barbour has said he expects his commission to call for increasing some taxes and decreasing others. He said he expects the group to recommend an increase in the cigarette excise tax, which - at 18 cents a pack - is among the lowest in the nation. A policy analyst for a Washington think tank says Mississippi needs to consider a tax credit to help low- and middle-income working families.

Jason Levitis with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said in an interview Wednesday that Mississippi lawmakers should consider creating an earned-income tax credit similar to one in neighboring Louisiana. . . .

Levitis said increasing the cigarette tax is a good idea. He also said Mississippi needs to make sure it collects enough tax money to pay for state services.

"If Mississippi wants to be competitive, it needs to make certain investments in things like education and infrastructure that are going to help it grow the economy and attract business," Levitis said. "In our judgment, Mississippi at this point isn't making the investments that are necessary in order to be able do that."

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EDITORIAL: Tobacco tax: 'If' no longer the issue, but 'when'  

Now, Bryant says he would consider a special session to increase the tax and even Barbour has said he will not oppose it. But McCoy says there is no need for a special session and it can be done in January.

My, how things do change.

The politics of a tobacco tax hike have long been out of sync with the public's attitudes and the facts.

Mississippi's 18-cent tax is the lowest in the region and the second lowest in the nation. Tobacco-related illnesses cost taxpayers, who don't smoke and harm and kill those who do. Raising the tax only makes sense.

The question now is how much and for what the money will be used. . . .

The cigarette tax debate has come full circle, but there are more fights to go before the smoke truly clears on this issue.

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Panel floating ideas for revamp of tax structure 

A commission appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour has released a preliminary draft of recommended changes to the state tax structure - a test balloon, of sorts, before the group puts its list in final form and sends it to the Capitol. . . .

In its report Friday, the commission said it has considered several options to increase Mississippi's cigarette excise tax, which at 18 cents is one of the lowest in the nation.

The draft did not recommend a specific tobacco tax increase, but said the commission had received two proposals. One was to set the tax at 36 cents a pack - the average of 10 Southern states. Another recommendation was to set the tax at 50 cents a pack - the average of the four surrounding states.

Barbour, a Republican, appointed about 30 business people, professors, economists and state and local officials to the commission several months ago.

Barbour said Friday that the commission's goal was "making the system more fair and equitable for our taxpayers."

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Cig-tax hike suggested by Barbour tax panel 

Hiking cigarette taxes, adjusting corporate taxes and expanding services that can be taxed are among the recommendations of a committee appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour.

Barbour's office released a draft report of the committee's recommendations today. They include short-term and long-term suggestions for tweaking taxes. Committee members will begin voting on the recommendations next week.

As expected, the committee recommends increasing Mississippi's 18-cent cigarette tax. It's among the lowest in the nation. The report suggests hiking it to either 36 or 50 cents per pack to reflect similar taxes in surrounding states. Health care advocates want a $1 hike.

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Lt. gov. hints at October session 

A one-day special session in October could address a tax on tobacco products to help the state pay for Medicaid.

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant brought up the possibility of a special session Tuesday during a visit here.

Gov. Haley Barbour would decide whether to call a special session, possibly after his tax commission study is complete.

If the tobacco tax is approved, the state could start collecting in November and December of this year, Bryant said.

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