Medicaid Service Providers Urge Cuts be Offset by Cigarette Tax Revenue; Governor Opposes Cigarette Tax Increase, Says Any Increase Should Offset Other Taxes
An editorial cartoon printed in the McCook Gazette and the Central City Republican Nonpareil highlights the week's top Nebraska tobacco news story: Discussion of whether Nebraska should increase its cigarette tax and tobacco tax on other tobacco products excluding snuff.
Nebraska Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island has proposed a bill (LB436) that would increase the cigarette tax to $1.99 a pack and the tobacco tax on tobacco products other than snuff from 20 percent of wholesale to 65 percent of wholesale.
The editorial cartoon addresses one of the issues that has been raised by the proposal. It features a man labeled, "Cigarette Retailers." The man stands behind a store counter with a display of cigarettes behind him, and an open pack of cigarettes on the counter next to him.
The man is identified as saying, "Well... I used to worry that tripling Nebraska's cigarette tax would cost me business... until gasoline prices rose too high for my customers to drive out of state."
Some Medicaid service providers would like to see the Legislature pass the bill to increase the state's cigarette tax and tobacco tax. The bill includes a provision to allocate a portion of the tax revenue for offsetting proposed cuts to provider rates. On Tuesday, Medicaid service providers warned Nebraska legislators of dismal consequences if proposed cuts to provider rates go forward.
At the same time, Gov. Dave Heineman re-iterated his opposition to increasing Nebraska's cigarette tax.
"This is the wrong time to increase taxes," Heineman told The Associated Press. "The proposed increase is all about additional spending. It would be one thing if they were going to take the money and reduce taxes somewhere else. This bill is going to increase the cigarette tax to spend money. To me, it just doesn't make sense."
According to The Associated Press, business groups that oppose the measure, including the state's Chamber of Commerce, say it will encourage bootleggers to buy in other states and sell in Nebraska.
"It just adds to the black market," said Jim Otto, president of the Nebraska Retail Federation. "If you're selling it out of your truck, you don't care if you're selling to a minor."
The measure is supported by groups including the American Cancer Society, AARP Nebraska, the Nebraska Medical Association and the Children and Family Coalition of Nebraska.
The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids has said the increase would prevent 20,100 kids from smoking and encourage 11,300 adult smokers to quit. Nebraska ranked 27th nationally last year for the proportion it spent on tobacco prevention, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
The bill is in the Revenue Committee and is not on any priority list.
State to Return Tribe's Cigarettes
The Nebraska Department of Revenue returned nearly $14,000 worth of cigarettes seized March 10 from the Ponca Tribe, a tribal official said Monday, March 14.
In a statement posted to the Department of Revenue's website, Tax Commissioner Doug Ewald apologized on behalf of the department to Ponca Chairwoman Rebecca White and the tribal council of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.
White told the Lincoln Journal Star that Revenue Department representatives informed the manager of the tribe's Ponca Smoke Signals shop in Niobrara that the shop had failed to affix its cigarette packages with a state cigarette tax stamp and seized the store's entire inventory of cigarettes.
The tribal smoke shop is on federal trust land owned by the tribe. The shop sells only Native-manufactured cigarettes and affixes its own tribal stamp on each carton, White said.
Compliance Checks in Hall County Show 88 Percent Compliance Rate
Nine of the 73 tobacco-licensed businesses in Hall County that were checked for compliance this month sold tobacco to a minor.
The rate of retailers in Hall County successfully not selling tobacco to minors was 88.7 percent. The rate of selling tobacco to minors was 12.3 percent.
According to the Nebraska Statewide Tobacco Compliance Checks SYNAR Fact Sheet, the goal is to have a violation rate across Nebraska of less than 10 percent.
The Grand Island Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition congratulated Bosselman’s Pump and Pantry for passing all checks at targeted retail locations. The clerks properly used the computer system, which helped prevent them from selling to a minor.
Hall County Board of Commissioners Declares March 23 Kick Butts Day
The Hall County Board of Commissioners declared March 23 as Kick Butts Day, according to the Grand Island Independent.
Kick Butts Day, Wednesday, March 23, is a day of activism that empowers youth to take action against tobacco use at more than 2,000 events from coast to coast. Kick Butts Day was initiated in 1995 by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Tobacco Free Hall County is one of many groups across Nebraska and the United States participating in the day.
No Limits Group Seeking Teen Board Members
Cheyenne County and other Nebraska teenagers who want to join the effort to promote tobacco free kids and to promote efforts to help adults quit smoking are invited to join a state board comprised of other teenagers that will oversee No Limits, Nebraska’s youth-led tobacco prevention movement, according to the Sidney Sun Telegraph.
No Limits announced this week that it is accepting applications for its 2011-12 youth board, which is responsible for guiding No Limits in opposing the tobacco industry.
Board members plan, implement and lead statewide events and activities that engage and educate Nebraska teens about tobacco-related issues.
According to No Limits, youth board members develop leadership and communications skills as they empower and encourage No Limits groups across the state to take action through local activism and statewide projects.
An editorial cartoon printed in the McCook Gazette and the Central City Republican Nonpareil highlights the week's top Nebraska tobacco news story: Discussion of whether Nebraska should increase its cigarette tax and tobacco tax on other tobacco products excluding snuff.
Nebraska Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island has proposed a bill (LB436) that would increase the cigarette tax to $1.99 a pack and the tobacco tax on tobacco products other than snuff from 20 percent of wholesale to 65 percent of wholesale.
The editorial cartoon addresses one of the issues that has been raised by the proposal. It features a man labeled, "Cigarette Retailers." The man stands behind a store counter with a display of cigarettes behind him, and an open pack of cigarettes on the counter next to him.
The man is identified as saying, "Well... I used to worry that tripling Nebraska's cigarette tax would cost me business... until gasoline prices rose too high for my customers to drive out of state."
Some Medicaid service providers would like to see the Legislature pass the bill to increase the state's cigarette tax and tobacco tax. The bill includes a provision to allocate a portion of the tax revenue for offsetting proposed cuts to provider rates. On Tuesday, Medicaid service providers warned Nebraska legislators of dismal consequences if proposed cuts to provider rates go forward.
At the same time, Gov. Dave Heineman re-iterated his opposition to increasing Nebraska's cigarette tax.
"This is the wrong time to increase taxes," Heineman told The Associated Press. "The proposed increase is all about additional spending. It would be one thing if they were going to take the money and reduce taxes somewhere else. This bill is going to increase the cigarette tax to spend money. To me, it just doesn't make sense."
According to The Associated Press, business groups that oppose the measure, including the state's Chamber of Commerce, say it will encourage bootleggers to buy in other states and sell in Nebraska.
"It just adds to the black market," said Jim Otto, president of the Nebraska Retail Federation. "If you're selling it out of your truck, you don't care if you're selling to a minor."
The measure is supported by groups including the American Cancer Society, AARP Nebraska, the Nebraska Medical Association and the Children and Family Coalition of Nebraska.
The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids has said the increase would prevent 20,100 kids from smoking and encourage 11,300 adult smokers to quit. Nebraska ranked 27th nationally last year for the proportion it spent on tobacco prevention, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
The bill is in the Revenue Committee and is not on any priority list.
State to Return Tribe's Cigarettes
The Nebraska Department of Revenue returned nearly $14,000 worth of cigarettes seized March 10 from the Ponca Tribe, a tribal official said Monday, March 14.
In a statement posted to the Department of Revenue's website, Tax Commissioner Doug Ewald apologized on behalf of the department to Ponca Chairwoman Rebecca White and the tribal council of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.
White told the Lincoln Journal Star that Revenue Department representatives informed the manager of the tribe's Ponca Smoke Signals shop in Niobrara that the shop had failed to affix its cigarette packages with a state cigarette tax stamp and seized the store's entire inventory of cigarettes.
The tribal smoke shop is on federal trust land owned by the tribe. The shop sells only Native-manufactured cigarettes and affixes its own tribal stamp on each carton, White said.
Compliance Checks in Hall County Show 88 Percent Compliance Rate
Nine of the 73 tobacco-licensed businesses in Hall County that were checked for compliance this month sold tobacco to a minor.
The rate of retailers in Hall County successfully not selling tobacco to minors was 88.7 percent. The rate of selling tobacco to minors was 12.3 percent.
According to the Nebraska Statewide Tobacco Compliance Checks SYNAR Fact Sheet, the goal is to have a violation rate across Nebraska of less than 10 percent.
The Grand Island Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition congratulated Bosselman’s Pump and Pantry for passing all checks at targeted retail locations. The clerks properly used the computer system, which helped prevent them from selling to a minor.
Hall County Board of Commissioners Declares March 23 Kick Butts Day
The Hall County Board of Commissioners declared March 23 as Kick Butts Day, according to the Grand Island Independent.
Kick Butts Day, Wednesday, March 23, is a day of activism that empowers youth to take action against tobacco use at more than 2,000 events from coast to coast. Kick Butts Day was initiated in 1995 by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Tobacco Free Hall County is one of many groups across Nebraska and the United States participating in the day.
No Limits Group Seeking Teen Board Members
Cheyenne County and other Nebraska teenagers who want to join the effort to promote tobacco free kids and to promote efforts to help adults quit smoking are invited to join a state board comprised of other teenagers that will oversee No Limits, Nebraska’s youth-led tobacco prevention movement, according to the Sidney Sun Telegraph.
No Limits announced this week that it is accepting applications for its 2011-12 youth board, which is responsible for guiding No Limits in opposing the tobacco industry.
Board members plan, implement and lead statewide events and activities that engage and educate Nebraska teens about tobacco-related issues.
According to No Limits, youth board members develop leadership and communications skills as they empower and encourage No Limits groups across the state to take action through local activism and statewide projects.
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