Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate passes 3.5¢ per-pack cigarette fee to fund youth substance-abuse services
Summary
After extended floor debate over fairness and effectiveness, the Utah Senate approved House Bill 227, a 3.5¢ per-pack cigarette fee intended to increase funding for youth substance-abuse prevention, early intervention and treatment. The bill passed 17–12.
The Utah Senate approved House Bill 227 on a 17–12 vote after several hours of debate over taxation, fairness and how new revenue would be used.
Senator Hughes, who introduced the measure on the floor, said the proposal’s objective was “to increase substance abuse treatment resources for youth,” describing the fee as a user charge to expand prevention, early intervention and treatment programs. He told colleagues the fee is a 3.5¢ per-pack increase that would be deposited into the General Fund and later…
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
