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House approves amended cigarette-tax measure after long floor fight over rate and earmarks
Summary
After hours of debate, substitute motions and amendment votes, the Utah House adopted a second substitute for House Bill 27 (cigarette tax). Lawmakers split over rate, earmarking vs. general-fund treatment and uses including prevention programs and a one-time $250,000 media appropriation; the House recorded passage and sent the bill to the Senate.
Representative Jordan Tanner, sponsor of House Bill 27, urged members to raise the cigarette excise tax by 25 cents a pack, arguing that higher prices are a proven deterrent for teen smoking and that the revenue should be directed toward prevention programs for youth. Tanner cited national and state statistics on teenage smoking and public-health costs in support of the measure.
Debate centered on competing goals: members who supported a larger per-pack increase emphasized studies and out-of-state examples showing price-plus-media approaches can reduce youth initiation; members opposing a larger increase warned of cross-border purchases, black-market sales and the unfair burden on addicted adult smokers. Several representatives stressed enforcement of existing minimum-age laws as a necessary complement to any tax increase.
Lawmakers proposed multiple substitute bills and amendments. One amendment would have earmarked proceeds for a set of prevention programs (including DARE and the McGrath House); opponents argued earmarks reduce budget flexibility. A compromise substitute crafted on the floor proposed a smaller increase and removed strict earmarking while authorizing a one-time $250,000 appropriation for an anti-tobacco media campaign targeted to children. Supporters framed that compromise as a viable statewide prevention approach; opponents said the one-time appropriation was insufficient to match the problem.
Recorded floor action: the transcript records several roll-call outcomes on substitute and amendment motions. A substitute motion to amend the second substitute passed 49 yes to 21 no; the House later recorded final passage of the second substitute/House Bill 27 with 55 yes and 17 no votes and transmitted the bill for Senate consideration. The transcript contains numerous amendments and competing motions; the final per-pack rate and formula in the adopted bill are not clearly specified in the transcript record provided here (multiple numeric adjustments were discussed but the final bill language as read on the floor is not unambiguously recorded in the transcript excerpts).
Ending: After the vote the House moved on; members were reminded of an EdNet broadcast and the chamber adjourned until the next day.
