A bill seeking to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Idaho has been defeated, dying in the Senate State Affairs Committee, the same group to defeat a similar proposal last year, according to a report by IdahoStatesman.com
S.B. 1255 had been introduced by Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise, in late January. It sought to make it illegal for a person under 21-years-of-age to purchase or possess tobacco or tobacco alternative products, such as e-cigarettes.
It’s the second straight defeat for Brown’s bill, though he said he felt more confident about this year’s version, telling the Idaho County Free Press that he revised the bill based on feedback from the previous session, as well as received an attorney general opinion on the constitutionally of the proposal. His attempt to pass similar legislation in 2017 was also defeated by the Senate State Affairs Committee.
A number of other states still have active legislation seeking to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including Washington, South Dakota, Illinois, Utah, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Alabama and Florida.
Proposals in Indiana and Mississippi have already been defeated this year.
The Idaho legislature has not yet confirmed the bill’s status as it publishes daily journals after the conclusion of each legislative day.