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Sponsor seeks statewide standard on tobacco sales and to preempt local rules; health groups oppose
Summary
Representative Ben Keithley told the House Commerce Committee that House Bill 344 would preempt local retail rules for tobacco and nicotine products and that he intends to set a statewide age‑of‑sale standard — moving it from 18 to 21 by amendment.
Representative Ben Keithley (West St. Louis County) presented House Bill 344 to the House Commerce Committee as a measure to create consistent statewide rules for retail sale and display of tobacco and nicotine products and to limit local governments from enacting more stringent retail sale rules. "Essentially, we state law right now sets up a framework...and then we kind of undo all of that at 1 point where we put all these restrictions in," Keithley said, arguing that the bill would prevent municipalities from imposing inconsistent or punitive licensing and product bans.
Keithley told the committee he planned a committee amendment to raise the state age of sale from 18 to 21 so the state standard would be…
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