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Sen. Pat Brennan presses to cut proposed $1,000 clerk fine in nicotine bill; committee backs modest increase
Summary
Sen. Pat Brennan secured agreement to reduce a proposed jump in clerk fines in S.498, reinstating subsequent-offense penalties while moving the first-offense fine to a more modest level (discussion centered on $100–$150). The committee reported the bill without recommendation and deferred appropriations and investigator funding.
Senator Pat Brennan told the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs committee on March 27 that a proviso in S.498 that raised clerk fines for selling tobacco- or nicotine-related products to underage buyers from $100 to $1,000 stood out to her and prompted a request to scale the increase back.
“All I could think about was the 16‑year‑old valedictorian … she was traumatized,” Senator Pat Brennan said, describing a past shoplifting/possession incident involving a young worker and explaining why she was particularly sensitive to heavy penalties on small retailers. “I couldn't afford $1,000 as the owner of a mom‑and‑pop.”
The committee discussed a set of…
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