West Virginia legislators will have a number of tobacco-related pieces of legislation this session, as bills have been introduced to both raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco and raise the tax on cigars and other tobacco products. SB 248, introduced by Sen. Ron Stollings (D-07), seeks to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco, tobacco products, tobacco-derived products, alternative nicotine products and vapor products to 21-years-old. It keeps the existing fines for retailers who sell to minors in place, which start at $50 and escalate to $5,000, and preserves the fines for under-age persons who have tobacco products in their possession, which range from $50 to $200 and also includes several hours of community service. It has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. Fresh off Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s budget that includes an increase in the tax on cigars from seven to 12 percent of the wholesale price amongst a number of other tobacco tax increases, five separate bills all seeking to hike the price on tobacco have been introduced to the legislature. HB 2634, filed by Delegate Don Perdue (D-19) and co-sponsored by three other Democrats, seeks an increase in the “other tobacco products” ...
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