North Dakota House of Representatives Reject Cigar Tax Increase
This week, the North Dakota House of Representatives soundly rejected a pair of bills to increase tobacco taxes in the state, including one that would have more than tripled the tax on premium cigars.
HB 1422, introduced by Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, which called for the tax on premium cigars and pipe tobacco to be increased from 28 percent of the wholesale price to 92 percent. In the case of a cigar with an MSRP of $9.50, that means the price at the register would have gone from $12.16 to $18.24, by halfwheel estimates.
The bill also called for an increase in the tax rate on snuff from 60 cents to $1.96 per once and on chewing tobacco from 16 cents per ounce to 52 cents per ounce.
It was defeated 58-33 during its second reading on the House floor.
The chamber also defeated a bill that would have raised the tax on cigarettes by more than a dollar per pack by a vote of 66-25.
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 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.
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