 House Rules Committee Passes Tobacco Tax Plan HB 1204, Gov. Beebe's tobacco tax plan, was passed unanimously in the House Rules Committee today. It will be on the House agenda soon. Please contact your state representatives and urge them to vote for this bill. HB 1204, sponsored by Rep. Greg Reep and 34 other sponsors, would increase the cigarette tax by 56 cents a pack. It would remove the 32 percent excise tax from moist snuff and replace it with a weight-based tax. It would also increase the tax on chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco and cigars by 19 percent. These taxes would raise an estimated $88 million a year to fund a statewide trauma system and additional health care programs. For more information about this bill, go to http://www.healthyarkansas.com/healthcare_initiatives/index.html You can help this bill become law by contacting your state representative and asking him or her to support the bill. To find your representative go to, http://capwiz.com/nea/ar/state/main/?state=AR&view=myofficials Scroll down to "My elected officials" and click on "View." Type in your ZIP code to view your legislator. Some people may need to type in the full 9-digit ZIP code. Or go to the AEA Web site at http://www.aeaonline.org Click on "Legislation and Political Action." Then click on "Welcome to the 2009 AEA Legislative Action Center." This will take you to an interactive site that allows you to find your representative and e-mail him or her directly. Update on Health Insurance AEA met with Rep. Curren Everett and Bill Abernathy yesterday to share information demonstrating the importance of securing additional funding for public school employee health insurance. Speaker of the House Robbie Wills asked Rep. Everett and Abernathy to lead the effort to work with other legislators to propose a health insurance relief package during this session. AEA appreciates the efforts of Speaker Wills, Rep. Everett and Abernathy are making on this important issue. HB 1169 by Rep. Cook, which provides additional contributions for public school employee health insurance, was discussed this morning in the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce. The committee approved Cook's amendment and added 13 representatives as co-sponsors, including Monty Betts, Nancy Blount, Toni Bradford, Steven Breedlove, Mike Burris, Jody Dickinson, John Edwards, Jim Nickels, Barbara Nix, Mark Perry, Johnnie Roebuck, Randy Stewart and Charlotte Wagner. Rep. Cook responded to several positive comments from committee members, including Chairman Eddie Hawkins, Allen Maxwell, David Rainey, David Dunn and Johnny Hoyt. AEA appreciates the work of Rep. Cook and the co-sponsors of this legislation. As we reported to you yesterday, we anticipate that there may be additional bills filed that concern public school employee and retiree health insurance contributions. As circumstances and information changes, AEA will keep you informed on those measures that most effectively meet our concerns. | ||
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