Two separate bills have been introduced into the North Dakota Legislature seeking to increase the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products. House Bill No. 1421 proposes an increase from 28% to 43.5% of the wholesale price when it comes to cigars, pipe tobacco and other tobacco products, with the exception of chewing tobacco and snuff. The bill asks for an increase in the tax on chewing tobacco from sixty cents per ounce to $2.72 per ounce, while snuff faces an increase from 16 to 73 cents per ounce. The bill also seeks an increase on the cigarette tax from $0.44 per pack to $1.54. The bill was introduced on Jan. 19 and has yet to be assigned to a committee. Senate Bill 2322 was introduced on Jan. 21 and wants to raise the tax on cigars, pipe tobacco and other tobacco products –chewing tobacco and snuff again excluded–from 28% to 50% of the wholesale price. The tax on chewing tobacco would be increased to $2.10 an ounce and snuff to $0.56 per ounce, while the tax on cigarettes would jump to $2 per pack. It too has yet to be assigned to a committee.
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