[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6314428,"mediaKeyId","2383837-c015aef5df816647d4a0d054139a1936","parentId",2383837,"title","Senate hearing on raising tobacco age to 21 and taxing vaping products draws public‑health support; committee sets bill aside","audioSeconds",1393,"startMs",2815000,"endMs",4208000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383837-c015aef5df816647d4a0d054139a1936&start=2815&end=4208","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383837-c015aef5df816647d4a0d054139a1936/thumbnail_2815000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6314428/Alaska/Senate-hearing-on-raising-tobacco-age-to-21-and-taxing-vaping-products-draws-publichealth-support-committee-sets-bill-aside","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314428-dba27ac70661b62e8e2a1e998cde9bc8/orig.mp4?Expires=1773657824&Signature=nV-mrA4u~VGMc4MI8OLY0-oEX8KUjg80c6sLEesWHAIUdI1qyJPPHefiQwpAjI-uU9zolvh5zs80Rf1zvRgAyMDfWK57om4nlBmM9t4uVGxPHL-l-~TpxUuTaUCWhGReUoqcDaXxsWfPMlGUboZ5yDlamtEFPnpXxSd1XqjrqOqLnZ2xztOr6VRYBSXqq5IG1BCY6EerGegCADu7bVWKzdACpbusNVbGbDn2revAn-3L6RAqxS~pY9F2DHc1Kn1azM25p5QADVAxFfJJz-qv6L5sbU~AYohLcY9EXH27AorEgTWafBllG2OxYj~cFLA1S~4Fe5h1Vq5pCxMmVNg4Ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","article","Senators heard a first presentation on Senate Bill 24 on Monday, a measure that would raise the minimum age to buy, possess and use cigarettes, other tobacco products and e‑cigarette products from 19 to 21 and create a retail tax on e‑cigarette products and vaping liquids.

Senator Gary Stevens, sponsor (Senator, Sekodiak), told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee the bill is intended to “protect our children from becoming addicted to nicotine” by raising the legal age and applying a tax to e‑cigarette products. Tim Lampkin, staff to Senator Stevens, provided a sectional summary that highlighted conforming changes across existing statutes, expanded definitions to capture synthetic nicotine, and online sales restrictions affecting other tobacco products beyond e‑cigarettes.

Public‑health witnesses urged the committee to act. Katie Stephens, deputy program manager for the state Tobacco Prevention and Control program, said tobacco remains a leading cause of preventable death in Alaska and noted that 17 percent of Alaska high‑school students reported current e‑cigarette use in recent surveys. Mike Bridges, speaking on behalf of the American Cancer Society, described vaping products’ flavors and marketing as “an insidious way to sell their new, addictive products” and said he supported the bill’s current language.

Staff highlighted several provisions: (1) the bill raises the legal age from 19 to 21 for sales, possession and distribution across multiple product categories; (2) it would lower the possession fine from $500 to $300 for certain violations but create an alternate bail‑schedule option that could avoid a court appearance for 18‑ to 20‑year‑olds; (3) it adds a definition to include synthetic nicotine to prevent manufacturers from using that ingredient to avoid taxation; (4) it would apply online‑sales restrictions to other tobacco products (chewing tobacco, nicotine gum, cigars, etc.), not only cigarettes and e‑cigarettes; and (5) it proposes a 25% retail tax on vaping products rather than a wholesale tax structure used for cigarettes in some statutes, with tax and licensing changes staged to take effect Jan. 1, 2027 and the age change Jan. 1, 2026, per staff presentation.

Senator Jon Dunbar (committee member) praised sponsor work on the employment carve‑out that protects 18‑to‑20‑year‑olds who work in retail settings that sell tobacco products. Several senators said they had heard from students and educators about pervasive vaping in schools.

No formal committee action was taken on SB 24 during the hearing. At the close of the meeting, Chair Bjorkman announced the committee would set SB 24 aside for further consideration at a future meeting.

Ending: The sponsor and health officials urged follow‑up work; staff and the sponsor said there are technical items they will continue to refine, and the bill will return for further hearings and potential amendment before any committee vote.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","02/24/2025 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Labor and Commerce Committee members heard a first presentation Monday on Senate Bill 24, which would raise the minimum age for tobacco and e‑cigarette sales and possession to 21 and impose a retail tax on vaping products.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6314433,"Alaska committee advances bill capping short‑term loan costs after hours of divided testimony",2425,369000,2794000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383837-c015aef5df816647d4a0d054139a1936&start=369&end=2794","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383837-c015aef5df816647d4a0d054139a1936/thumbnail_369000.jpg","/articles/6314433/Alaska/Alaska-committee-advances-bill-capping-shortterm-loan-costs-after-hours-of-divided-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314433-0e8c44c95ed67ed607019188db525643/orig.mp4?Expires=1773657824&Signature=OkwjwG5meYrzKKt7RknDktT9eXKpzhVQD0d0MPj25JMKiEq3WynEtMFUAnmKu9OFFpacnE5KpIgJu1YUKR5AzayMwyoaYVV-NHzVcBgsfXWe5cJIDr8SgWT1td47wN4fgTJzzxiODBebzFaFuRso59PuIfVH40vTWryH-rVZBfgR~y26vB7enwmskpXNOD8dFPtTdLFXcef-vNwggwrk13rr8KcmNdVGLlHXeivBlzoXwyalVfHm6EsJxMI8yxcMp5raSjaVu9Zj9jA4ovzicm8l2EfMVAeV-uW0H42inUOpQ4novTaSzGI5VLNcNAt930rLNNDSJKCewJQhDP85GQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Labor and Commerce Committee members advanced Senate Bill 39 on unanimous consent Monday after a two‑hour hearing that drew lenders, trade groups and consumer advocates to testify about whether a statewide interest‑rate cap would help or harm Alaskans.

Senator Forrest Dunbar, sponsor (Senator from District J), said the bill would remove payday lenders from exemptions in state code, expand the definition of a lender to close evasion loopholes, require use of the nationwide multistate licensing registry, change licensing fees and per‑location application rules, and set a uniform cap of 3% per month for loans under $25,000 and for open‑ended loans. Rachel Levy, staff to Senator Dunbar, walked the committee through the bill’s sectional analysis and the proposed technical amendments.

The bill matters because it would reshape how short‑term, small‑dollar credit is offered and regulated in Alaska. Supporters say existing payday products charge predatory rates and disproportionately harm rural and vulnerable borrowers; opponents say a hard cap will eliminate regulated lending and push borrowers to unregulated or offshore lenders.

Supporters of the bill included Erin Baldmunde, economic justice organizer for Alaska Public Interest Research Group, who said the state’s payday market extracts tens of millions of dollars annually and that roughly 70% of payday loans in Alaska are accessed online. Baldmunde told the committee an average APR of “435 percent on a payday loan is absolutely predatory,” and urged the panel to “please carry on with this effort.” Katie Stephens, deputy program manager for the state Tobacco Prevention Control program, was not part of this bill’s testimony; her testimony was for a separate bill heard later in the meeting.

Trade groups and lenders testified strongly against the proposal. Ed D’Alessio, executive director of INFIN (a trade association representing state‑licensed consumer finance companies), said SB 39 “would eliminate the ability of Alaskans to access regulated short‑term small‑dollar loans,” arguing lenders in other states closed after caps were imposed. Andrew Duke, head of the Online Lenders Alliance, and Danielle Arlo, senior vice president of the American Financial Services Association, gave similar testimony that limiting allowable costs would cause licensed lenders to exit the market, reducing safe access to small loans. Cort Walker, vice president of product and risk for an Alaska‑licensed lender, told the committee lenders work to assess ability to repay and that the state’s deferred‑deposit law already has “several effective guardrails.”

Industry witnesses highlighted operational details in the bill: a shift to per‑branch licensing fees ($500 per branch, website, or mobile application and $2,000 for a company license as described in staff testimony), requirements to submit separate applications for each business location, and a proposed effective date of July 1, 2025. Senator Dunbar said the bill includes a non‑evasion clause and provisions intended to help regulators address offshore or online predatory lenders.

Several witnesses framed the experience of other states differently. Patrick Brenner of the Southwest Public Policy Institute and witnesses from lender associations cited New Mexico and Illinois as examples where caps reduced licensed lending and pushed borrowers to higher‑cost or unregulated options. Proponents of a cap pointed to local credit unions offering small‑dollar products at lower APRs and argued that raising access to those alternatives is feasible.

After public testimony, Senator Merrick moved to report the bill from committee “version 34 LS0357alpha as amended … with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note.” There was no objection and the committee announced SB 39 as moved from committee with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note.

What the committee did not decide: the committee did not take a roll‑call vote on the bill’s substantive provisions, did not mark up final statutory language in session, and did not set a floor date. Several witnesses asked for the committee to consider additional definitional clarifications and to work with stakeholders on language before subsequent referral.

Votes at a glance: the committee’s procedural motion to report SB 39 out of committee was made by Senator Merrick and carried by unanimous consent; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the committee record and were present in the hearing transcript: Forrest Dunbar (Senator, sponsor), Rachel Levy (staff to Senator Dunbar), Patrick Brenner (Southwest Public Policy Institute), Ed D’Alessio (executive director, INFIN), Cort Walker (vice president, lender), Erin Baldmunde (economic justice organizer, Alaska PIRG), Joe Rubin (Opportunity Financial), Danielle Arlo (senior vice president, American Financial Services Association), Andrew Duke (Online Lenders Alliance), Noel Lowe (owner, Alaska Fast Cash), Senator Merrick (committee member who moved the committee action), and Senator Bjorkman (chair).

Ending: The committee’s action sends the bill toward further committee consideration with a fiscal note and recommended changes; sponsors and opponents signaled they expect additional negotiations and technical edits before any final floor action.

","Senate Labor and Commerce Committee members advanced Senate Bill 39 on unanimous consent Monday after a two‑hour hearing that drew lenders, trade groups and consumer advocates to testify about whether a statewide interest‑rate cap would help or harm Alaskans.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate hearing on raising tobacco age to 21 and taxing vaping products draws public‑health support; committee sets bill aside

Alaska committee advances bill capping short‑term loan costs after hours of divided testimony