Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Panel weighs governor—s proposed 50¢ cigarette tax increase; health and retailers outline trade-offs
Summary
The committee heard testimony about a proposed 50¢ per-pack cigarette excise increase in Article 5. The administration estimated $4.4 million in additional revenue in fiscal 2026; health officials said higher prices reduce use while retailers and distributors warned of revenue decline and cross-border purchases.
Lawmakers questioned administration and public-health witnesses about the governor—s proposal to raise the cigarette excise tax by 50¢ per pack, and heard competing evidence about the revenue, health and business effects.
The administration—s presentation said the budget assumes $4.4 million in additional revenue in fiscal 2026, including a floor-stock tax on inventory, with lower net receipts in later years as consumption falls. Revenue staff said their models assume a decline in sales of roughly 1 million packs (from about 19.9 million to just over 18 million packs) under the proposal. Department of Revenue staff also noted Rhode Island—s current per-pack rate would…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
