Governor Ned Lamont tipping his hand about his state budget proposals on Sunday’s edition of ‘Capitol Report‘ on News 8.
“We’re going to raise the age on vaping and e-cigarettes and cigarettes.”
On ‘Capitol Report’ on News 8 Sunday morning, Governor Lamont telling the panel about four proposals in his upcoming budget that would raise about $35 million dollars a year, but are more about changing people’s behavior than raising money.
He wants to:
- Raise the age for purchasing tobacco and vaping products to 21 statewide.
- Impose a 75% tax on vaping products.
- A 10-cent tax on plastic bags.
- A 25-cent deposit on wine and liquor bottles.
“These are the ‘sin taxes’ of the 21st century,” says the Governor adding, “50 years ago it would be just a tax on cigarettes. Nicotene products are on the upswing.”
Lamont says the statistics show that the most growth in vaping nicotene products is among young people and the hefty tax and age is aimed at helping to curb that.
There are already proposals to phase in a total ban on plastic bags before a legislative committee. Proposals for placing a tax on plastic have failed in recent years, but Lamont thinks a 10-cent-a-bag tax is the best way to go saying, “Over time it accomplishes the same thing and it gives people time to accomodate.”
The 10-cent plastic bag tax is the only one of these proposals that raises significant revenue for
the state The Governor saying, “Am I doing it just for the revenue? No, I’m making a statement about wht kind of a state we are. Does it raise $30-plus million? Yes. Nothing to sneeze at, but that’s not the purpose.”
Lamont says the amount of plastic ending up in the sound and elsewhere is not sustainable and must
be addressed, and he thinks the tax is the best way.
