Clear the Air

Several bills dealing with tobacco were introduced during the first week of the 2012 Legislative Session in West Virginia. They are:

SB-24 - Forbidding tobacco sales in licensed pharmacies - Foster, Facemire - Referred to Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

SB-28 - Creating Smoke Free West Virginia Act - Foster - Referred to Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

SB-141 - Increasing penalties for tobacco use by minors - K. Facemire, Miller - Referred to Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

SB-148 - Creating Transition Program for Tobacco Farmers - K. Facemire, Williams - Referred to Agriculture then Finance

Each of these are carry-over bills from the 2011 session.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Bills have been introduced in the West Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates to increase West Virginia’s excise tax on tobacco with a portion of the proceeds directed to tobacco control and other health-related programs.

SB-362 was introduced in the Senate by Senators Roman Prezioso, Dan Foster, Brooks McCabe and Acting Senate President Jeff Kessler and a companion bill, HB-2973, was introduced in the House by Delegates Delegates Don Perdue, Charlene Marshall, Barbara Hatfield and Nancy Peoples Guthrie.

Both bills call for increasing West Virginia excise tax on cigarettes by $1.00 to $1.55 per pack and the tax on other tobacco products from the current level of 7% of the wholesale price to 50% of the wholesale price.  The proposed legislation would also direct one-half of the tobacco tax revenues, up to $60 million, into a new fund to be known as the “West Virginia Healthy Future Fund”.  $27 million from the Fund would be transferred annually for tobacco prevention and eduction programs and the balance of the Fund each year would directed to public health, substance abuse or healthcare-related programs. Revenues beyond what is placed in the Fund would go to General Revenue.

According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids this legislation, if enacted, would generate nearly $160 million in total revenue and would result in a 15.4% reduction in youth smoking and 13,100 current adult tobacco users quitting.  In addition, West Virginia would see a long-term health savings of $458.7 million from these declines.

SB-362 has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee and the to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.

HB-2973 has been referred to the House Health and Human Resources Committee and the to the House Finance Committee.

Introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates today was HB4507 which would allow any person or business to appeal decisions of local boards of health to the county commission. The legislation, as proposed, is retroactive and would place all actions made by West Virginia’s 49 boards of health for the PAST THREE YEARS - as well as all future actions - in jeopordy.

This is the latest of a number of bills aimed at weakening local boards of health and politicizing the decisions they make.

The obvious target of this legislation are the many clean indoor air regulations put in place over the past several years. The lead sponsor of the bill, Delegate Doug Reynolds, has been a vocal opponent of the new clean indoor air regulation passed in Cabell County last month. This bill, however, would apply to ALL DECISIONS AND ACTIONS of local boards of health and would place special interests above the interest of protecting public health.

Other sponsors of this legislation are Delegates Border, Skaff, Sobonya, C. Miller, D. Walker, Campbell, Spencer, Poore, Hunt and Manchin.

The bill is single referenced to the House Judiciary Committee and could move very quickly.

 Time is critical in contacting members of this committee to urge their REJECTION of this dangerous and ill-conceived legislation.

Members of the Judiciary Committee and contact information:

Delegate Miley - Chair - (304) 340-3252

Delegate Hunt - Vice-Chair - (304) 340-3392

Delegate Ellem - Minority Chair - (304) 340-3394

Delegate Lane - Minority Vice-Chair - (304) 340-3275

Delegate Barker - (304) 340-3149

Delegate Brown - (304) 340-3106 

Delegate Caputo -  (304) 340-3249

Delegate Ferro - (304) 340-3111

Delegate Fleischauer - (304) 340-3169

Delegate Frazier - (304) 340-3396 

Delegate Hutchins - (304) 340-3270

Delegate Longstreth - (304) 340-3124 

Delegate Michael - (304) 340-3340

Delegate Moore - (304) 340-3189 

Delegate Ross - (304) 340-3145

Delegate Shook - (304) 340-3173

Delegate Skaff - (304) 340-3362 

Delegate Susman - (304) 340-3183

Delegate Wells - (304) 340-3287

Delegate Wooton - (304) 340-3164

Delegate Hamilton - (304) 340-3167

Delegate Overington - (304) 340-3148

Delegate Schadler - (304) 340-3191

Delegate Schoen - (304) 340-3141

Delegate Sobonya - (304) 340-3175

Call members of this committee IMMEDIATELY and express your opposition to HB 4507!

The following tobacco-related bill was introduced today, Wednesday, January 27th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

SB-360 - Smoke Free West Virginia Act - Sponsored by Sen. Dan Foster

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

BREAKING NEWS!

Governor Manchin’s proposed budget for FY11 calls for a cut of over 11.5% from the tobacco prevention and education program.

The proposed cut to this program would be $656,318.

More details to come as the Governor and Administrative officials present the budget to the Finance Committees today.

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Wednesday, January 13th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

SB 24 - Forbidding tobacco products’ sale in pharmacies

SB 55 - Granting municipal courts jurisdiction over juveniles violating tobacco use laws

SB 56 - Increasing penalties for underage use or possession of tobacco

HB 2681 - Eliminating the food tax, increasing the tax on nonintoxicating beer, increasing the cigarette tax, increasing the noncigarette tobacco products tax..etc..

HB 2746 - Raising the excise tax on cigarettes and all other tobacco products

HB 2773 - Increasing the monetary penalties for selling tobacco products to minors

HB 2808 - Providing a procedure for removal of county, district or municipal officers

HB 2855 - Permitting the holder of a license to sell nonintoxicating liquors to determine the use or nonuse of tobacco products on the licensees’ premises

HB 2932 - Requiring the approval of board of health rules relating to tobacco use in public or private places

HB 3078 - Reduced Cigarette Ignition Propensity Standard and Fire Prevention Act

All House legislation on this list are carryover bills from the 2009 session. HB 3078, while introduced today, was actually passed in 2009 as a Senate bill.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, clean indoor air, tobacco control, tobacco excise tax, West Virigina Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Wednesday, March 4th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

SB456 - Creating Reduced Cigarette Ignition Propensity Standard and Fire Prevention Act

HB2932 - Requiring the approval of board of health rules relating to tobacco use in public or private places.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, clean indoor air, West Virigina Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Tuesday, March 3rd, in the West Virginia Legislature:

SB420 - Raising excise tax on tobacco products

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, West Virginia Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Thursday, February 26th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

HB2855 - Permitting the holder of a license to sell nonintoxicating liquors to determine the use or nonuse of tobacco products on the licensees’ premises.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, clean indoor air, West Virigina Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Tuesday, February 24th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

HB2773 - Increasing the monetary penalties for selling tobacco products to minors.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, West Virigina Legislature, youth access