Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee advances bill to raise cigarette tax and retax nicotine pouches after long debate
Summary
The House Revenue and Taxation Committee adopted a substitute to HB337 advancing higher cigarette excise and a shift of nicotine-pouch taxation from weight to a price-percent basis, after hours of testimony from health advocates, retailers and industry and a 9-2 floor vote to pass the substitute out favorably.
Representative Clancy asked the House Revenue and Taxation Committee to update Utah's tobacco tax structure, arguing the state has not adjusted the cigarette tax in 16 years and nicotine pouches are currently taxed in a way that creates a loophole for inexpensive youth-targeted products.
Clancy told the committee the bill ''does two things'': raise the cigarette tax (expressed in public discussion as a $2-per-pack equivalent in statute by cents-per-stick) and reclassify nicotine pouches so they are taxed as price-based alternative nicotine products instead of by weight.
The sponsor framed the measure as a public-health and revenue-action package aimed at reducing youth use and funding prevention.
Public-health advocates and former lawmakers urged the committee to act. Art Brown, who…
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
