Idaho House Tax Chairman Dennis Lake said the policy proposal to raise the state tax on cigarettes was never introduced into the legislative session this year because of a lack of support among Republicans on the House Tax Committee.
The proposal could have raised about $50 million by hiking state tax on each pack of cigarettes from 57 cents to $1.25, and Lake, R-Blackfoot, said the money raised would have helped the Medicaid program pay for health problems caused by the use of tobacco.
Rep. Brian Cronin, D-Boise, said the tobacco tax increase was not given a chance because some legislators never support tax reform, even if it is widely supported by the public.
“It’s frustrating for what we think is a worthy policy idea to never be put on the table,” Cronin said. “We have referred to this as a perversion of the process.”
Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Ririe, said she never saw the proposition, but is against taking too much money from people and their families.
“I rarely vote for tax increases. I am opposed to raising any taxes at all until we see what our financial situation is going to be,” Wood said.
The proposal was not brought on as a tax increase but rather as a health problem, Lake said.
“The proposition showed that every family in Idaho is paying over $500 a year to pay for the health issues that tobacco users have developed,” Lake said. “Do you like to be paying for the problems that someone else who smokes now has?”
Lake said the proposition never went on the table because there was not enough support to move it out of committee, but Cronin did not agree.
“They are using that they don’t have enough votes as an excuse, but that’s not how we make policy in this country,” Cronin said. “We typically examine an idea, solicit input from different parties and then make a decision rather than shutting down the idea before it can ever see the light of day to be brought up for a real vote.”
Lake said an unofficial hearing held Monday in the Capitol Building had a majority turnout of supportive Idahoans, and little opposition from distributors and tobacco users.
Lake said a poll conducted last fall by the anti-smoking coalition reported nearly 73 percent of Idaho’s public supported the tax hike, while more than 50 percent of current smokers also supported the increase simply because they didn’t want other people to start smoking.
Statistics show 19 percent of young people would never start using if there was a tax increase and 9 percent of present users would stop smoking altogether, Lake said.
Wood said the strongest point of the proposition was to stop children from smoking.
Cronin said he believes every legislator agrees they want fewer children to smoke.
“We are in the business of keeping Idahoans safe and healthy. I don’t think you would find a single legislator that would say they want to see fewer children smoke,” Cronin said.
Another reason Cronin said he supported the proposition was because the $50 million generated by the tax increase could free up funds elsewhere for budgets like higher education, K-12 schools and human services.
Cronin said this session they have been cutting budgets in those areas, and those cuts are making people realize how important the extra money from a tobacco tax increase could be.
He said hundreds of postcards and emails have come in supporting a tobacco tax increase, but most of those supporters don’t realize that there isn’t a printed bill that could even be voted on for this proposition.
Lake said a smoker emailed his support for the increase with confidence that it could help him quit smoking.
“I received an email from a guy saying that he supported the tobacco tax increase because it would be just what he needs to be motivated to quit,” Lake said.
He said although the anti-smoking coalition worked hard to get the proposition heard this year, he is doubtful it will come back next year unless there is an extreme need for funds. He said legislators that don’t like tax reform of any kind, and that will stop the bill from moving again.
“Most people around the legislature will tell you the extremist majority will never go near a tax increase. We have legislators that never want to reform tax at any time or measure for any policy. Those in leadership seem to be of that mindset,” Cronin said.
He said he believes these decisions are being made by only a handful of people, and the Idaho House of Representatives has an agenda, which is driven by an extreme political policy that is restricting any tax increases.
“It seems strange and disturbing to us that they didn’t even give it a chance. Who knows what would have happened if we could have had a hearing. We might have had an interesting debate,” Cronin said. “We debate all sorts of issues that never become the law, but agree that they are at least worth talking about. There is something broken with this process — its integrity is not being honored.”
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