Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that raises the excise tax on tobacco to $.04/cigarette until July 1, 2006, and to $.05/cigarette thereafter. The conference report allocates $1.31 million to the Education Enhancement Fund and $326,000 to the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund from revenue generated by the cigarette taxes. The report also lowers dealers’ discounts on stamps from 8 percent to 4 percent prior to July 1, 2006, and from 4 percent to 1 percent thereafter and reduces the sales tax on retail foods for human consumption to 3.5 percent. Additionally, the report provides for a greater percentage of the sales tax on retail foods to be distributed to municipalities beginning on or before September 15, 2006, and establishes new rules concerning tobacco companies that did not participate in the tobacco settlement.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that raises the excise tax on tobacco to $.04/cigarette until July 1, 2006, and to $.05/cigarette thereafter. The conference report allocates $1.31 million to the Education Enhancement Fund and $326,000 to the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund from revenue generated by the cigarette taxes. The report also lowers dealers’ discounts on stamps from 8 percent to 4 percent prior to July 1, 2006, and from 4 percent to 1 percent thereafter and reduces the sales tax on retail foods for human consumption to 3.5 percent. Additionally, the report provides for a greater percentage of the sales tax on retail foods to be distributed to municipalities beginning on or before September 15, 2006, and establishes new rules concerning tobacco companies that did not participate in the tobacco settlement.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that raises the tax on tobacco to $.05/cigarette, imposes a tax on snuff, cigars, and other tobacco products, excluding cigarettes, at 15 percent of the manufacturer’s list price and requires that a portion of the revenue from increased tobacco taxes be deposited monthly into the Education Enhancement Fund and the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund. The bill also lowers the tax on retail sales of food to 3.5 percent and provides that 18.5 percent of taxes collected through the increased tobacco taxes and 37 percent of taxes collected through the tax on retail food sales within a municipality be distributed back to the municipality monthly.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that raises the excise tax on tobacco from $.009/cigarette to $.04/cigarette; imposes a tax on snuff, cigars, and other tobacco products, except cigarettes, at 15 percent of the manufacturer’s list price; creates the Municipal Sales Tax Diversion Fund and requires that money from the fund be distributed monthly to municipalities; requires that a portion of the revenue from the increased tobacco tax be deposited in the Municipal Sales Tax Diversion Fund, the Education Enhancement Fund, and the School Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund; and lowers the sales tax on retail sales of food to 3.5 percent.

Full Bill Text