Among the bills the Kentucky House of Representatives will consider this session is House Bill 132, a 213-page document that proposes a number of tax increases to tobacco products of all kinds, including an increase that could result in a nearly 300% increase of the cigar tax.

The bill calls for an increase in the tax rate from 15% of the wholesale price to 40%, an increase that would also apply to smokeless tobacco products, smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco and any other kind of prepared tobacco intended for chewing or smoking, except cigarettes. The bill seeks a $1 per pack increase, from $0.56 to $1.56, on cigarettes. Snuff and chewing tobacco are also looking at increases of 168%.

There would also be increases in the floor stock taxes on all tobacco products, including an increase on tobacco products such as cigars from 7.5% to 25% of their price.

The bill was introduced on Jan. 6 and referred to the House Appropriations & Revenue Committee on Jan. 8.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.