Story Archives of 'Tobacco Tax'

Governor Lynch’s latest plan to address the state’s budget shortfall would involve raising taxes on cigarettes, reducing the state discount to wine retailers, and introducing a brand new tax on charity poker games. We’ll unpack the economics of so-called “sin taxes” and explore what these increases could mean for consumers, businesses and the state budget.

Guests

• Brian Gottlob , Principal at PoliEcon Research
• Charlie Arlinghaus , President of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
• Dan Eaton, Democratic State Representative from Stoddard and longtime member of the House Finance Committee

We'll also hear from

• John Lynch , Governor of New Hampshire
• John Ganos, owner of Tobacco Haven in Brookline

A New Hampshire Legislative Committee voted overwhelmingly yesterday to increase the state's cigarette tax by 28 cents.

The increase would raise 87 million dollars.

But several committee members were unsatisfied with the tax hike.

They said it didn't raise enough money.

New Hampshire Public Radio's David Darman has more.

More than thirty states in recent years have increased cigarette taxes. Now, New Hampshire is seriously looking at raising its tax again. We'll look at why states are turning to tobacco for money and how well its working. Laura is joined by Bert Waisanen, senior fiscal analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures and Jeff Feingold, editor of New Hampshire Business Review.

House lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to approve a temporary cigarette tax hike to pay for schools. The move comes in the face of a threatened veto by Governor Craig Benson.

The house finance committee today passed two state budget proposals. One requires no tax increases, but relies on cuts, and 19 million dollars in as yet unspecified savings to close the budget gap. The other, funds more services, but calls for a 39 cent increase in the cigarette tax. Both proposals go before the full legislature next week.