South Carolina Legislative Roundup for the 2007 Session
What you need to know and what you can do
For us lovers of freedom, this legislative session has been an anxious one. Several smoking ban threats were floated, and one or two of them garnered significant legislator support. Granted, the one that garnered the most support did so only in response to severe smoking bans in places like Charleston (this bill would have preempted such bans and made them less painful), but none-the-less, we are in a scary time in South Carolina.
Armed with more money than ever before from Pharmaceutical interests and Health Charities (God forbid those charities use their donations to actually find a cure), last year’s laughable conclusions from ex-Surgeon General Carmona on second-hand-smoke, and a variety of questionable polls; the antis have made significant progress in convincing moderate legislators that a ban is wanted and needed. And they have convinced many that a tobacco tax increase is needed and “long-overdue”, despite the fact that tobacco users pay significantly more tax per valued consumption than any other consumer, including luxury item purchasers.
Granted, it is slightly less likely that a ban and tax increase is likely to pass next year – it being an election year – but this does not diminish the real threat at all. I anticipate a Supreme Court ruling in the next six months that will shoot down all “local” smoking bans (due to state law pre-emption) and this will only entice the antis and local governments to push harder for a state-wide smoking ban and/or local control.
And remember – a 30-cent cigarette tax increase bill was passed by the House. This bill is still active. It was amended by the Senate Finance Committee to 45 cents and awaits a vote from the full Senate. This bill is likely to have action upon it next year. Lest you think 45 cents is “doable” – this translates to a $4.50 increase per carton, or ~$20 dollars more per month for the average smoker, bringing the average smoker’s monthly expenditure from ~$100 to ~$120. Do you want to pay $20 dollars more to the state per month? Not to mention threats from the now Democrat-controlled US Congress on raising the Federal tax.