A Mississippi state representative has introduced a pair of bills to the state house that would institute across the board tax increases on all tobacco products sold in the state. Rep. Bob Evans (D-91) brought House Bills 1250 and 1251 to the floor on January 20, the same day they were both referred to the House’s Ways and Means Committee, a committee that Evans does not sit on. HB 1250 would impose an excise tax on cigarettes of $0.059 per single unit sold, a move that would increase the per-pack tax from $0.68 to $1.18. HB 1251 would institute higher taxes on all other tobacco products, including cigars, which are all currently taxed at a rate of 15% of the manufacturer’s price. Rep. Evans’ proposal would increase that rate to 22.5%. If passed, both measures would go into effect on July 1, 2014.
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