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Senate committees pass amended HB 441 to raise cigarette taxes, direct proceeds to cancer center debt reduction
Summary
After hours of testimony from health groups, retailers and citizens, joint Senate committees voted to pass HB 441 with amendments that replace its contents with SB 1528 SD1 (with specified exceptions) and direct increased tobacco-tax proceeds toward debt reduction and the Hawaii Cancer Center.
Joint Senate committees hearing on public health voted to pass House Bill 441, HD2, with amendments after broad testimony from public health agencies, medical centers, tobacco-control coalitions, retailers and residents.
Department of Health representative Lola Irvin told the committees that "cigarettes are still the leading cause of preventable disease and death" and urged increasing the per-stick tax, noting a current tax of 16¢ per stick and requesting a 5¢ increase to 21¢ per stick. The Department of Taxation's Winston Wall asked that, if rates change, the bill take effect on 2026-01-01 to allow time to order new tax…
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