New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan presented her budget proposal for the 2016-17 biennium today, and as part of her proposal, the governor called for an increase in the state’s tobacco tax.
In the proposal’s summary, Hassan calls for an increase of 21 cents in the state’s tax on cigarettes, with parity for other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. Currently, the state does not impose a tax on premium cigars, though that would come to an end if this proposal gets adopted.
The budget predicts revenues of $40 million over the two years should the tax be approved, which would go to fund the governor’s $1 billion in increased spending, an uptick of 6.4%.
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, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, 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.