http://mycn2.com/politics/rep-adams-prefers-statewide-smoking-ban-to-cigarette-tax-increase

Publication Date: June 19, 2012

Author: Ryan Alessi

Rep. Adams prefers statewide smoking ban to cigarette tax increase

06/19/2012 02:05 PM

Republican state Rep. Julie Raque Adams was one of just two GOP lawmakers to co-sponsor legislation to ban smoking in public spaces and most work places across Kentucky.

And she said such a ban is important to economic development in Kentucky and is more effective than another proposal aimed at curbing smoking — raising taxes on packs of cigarettes.

“When companies look to Kentucky or employees look to moving to Kentucky, it doesn’t matter if you’re from Louisville or Paducah or Pikeville, I think everyone thinks it’s just a good way to go,” she said (2:15).

Some lawmakers, such as Democratic Sen. Julian Carroll of Frankfort, have told Pure Politics Kentucky’s cigarette tax should be raised beyond the current 60 cents-per-pack.

But Adams said she could only support an increase in the cigarette tax if it was part of a broader tax reform effort. Specifically she said she is concerned with relying on a “behavior tax” for additional revenue.

“When you talk about taxes in Kentucky, it’s really easy to say we’re going to raise the taxes and bring in more revenue … It’s not very courageous to say, let’s just go ahead and raise the cigarette tax. I think you need to look at it in a broader perspective,” Adams said. (5:00)

About Ryan Alessi

Ryan Alessi joined cn|2 in May 2010 as senior managing editor and host of Pure Politics. He has covered politics for more than 10 years, including 7 years as a reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Follow Ryan on Twitter @cn2Alessi. Ryan can be reached at 502-792-1135 or ryan.alessi@twcable.com.

Comments

  • David Adams wrote on June 20, 2012 12:41 AM :

    What’s wrong, don’t they have Big Gulps and Oreos to go after in Louisville?

  • Bruce Layne wrote on June 20, 2012 10:07 AM :

    I don’t smoke, but I am adamantly opposed to smoking bans at any level beyond private property owners telling people they can’t smoke on their property. Government imposed smoking bans are a blatant violation of property rights.

    Look at areas such as New York City where smoking bans passed first. They’ve now moved on to bans of transfats in restaurants, and just recently, mayor Bloomberg’s tyrannical decree outlawing soft drinks larger than 16 ounces. How much nanny state nonsense do we want? Have you eaten your minimum six servings of vegetables today? Don’t stay up past your bedtime. I already have a mother. I don’t need my government to regulate my behavior for my own good.

    I recall the debate in the Kentucky Legislature prior to the previous 2009 raising of the cigarette tax. The discussion initially centered around how increasing this sin tax would discourage Kentucky’s children from starting to smoke, would encourage adults in Kentucky to stop smoking, and how legislating our behavior would improve everyone’s health by encouraging us to make wiser decisions. As soon as they had the votes and the cigarette tax was a done deal, all feel-good discussions of health disappeared faster than the wisp of vapor from an e-cigarette and were replaced by a cynical calculation of what the cigarette tax rate should be. Too high, and Kentuckians would stop smoking and that revenue stream would disappear, and smokers from neighboring states would decide it wasn’t worth buying their cigarettes in Kentucky. It was obvious that their ONLY concern was maximizing tax revenue.

    Your mother cares about your health and well being. Be wary when any government pretends to care about you. Your liberty and your money are in peril.

  • Cumberland Gap wrote on June 20, 2012 11:31 AM :

    Interesting big city conservative lady here says she doesn’t like a “behavior tax” but instead favors a big government prohibition on someone’s behavior to smoke the legal product.

    Some might find that inconsistent logic or even hypocrisy.

  • Cat Balz wrote on June 20, 2012 06:12 PM :

    Big city conservative lady said progressive three times. Blondes cause headaches.

What do you have to say?





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