cigarettes – Sandy Rosenberg

Reducing smoking has been one of my priorities throughout my career..

Especially among younger people.

Stronger regulation of the sale and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products by Maryland’s counties and Baltimore City would be permitted by my legislation, House Bill 732.

A lobbyist for the tobacco industry wrote the members of the committee that my legislation would “adversely affect the raising and collection of tobacco product excise and sales tax.”

“That’s our goal,” I testified in response.

“Our tax policy for tobacco products is unique”, I continued. “We are using the revenue generated by this tax to persuade consumers from using this product.”

Especially among younger people.

My testimony on my bills today was déjà vu all over again.

“This committee has dealt with 20th Century domestic election fraud – leaflets and robo calls,” I told the Ways and Means Committee. “Now we have to deal with 21st Century international electronic election fraud.”

My bills addressing old fashioned fraud were favorably reported by the committee. They’re now the law.

House Bill 767 this session would require that steps be taken to protect our voter registration infrastructure from hacking.

The next bill today dealt with the Cigarette Restitution Fund, the repository of the money from the multi-state settlement with the tobacco industry.

Delegate Pete Rawlings and I were the lead sponsors of the bill creating the fund.

“If we don’t spend more money from the fund to urge kids not to smoke or to stop smoking if they already are hooked,” I told the Appropriations Committee, “we’ll spend more money on Medicaid to treat the illnesses caused by smoking.”

My bill requiring that a tenant have a lawyer before being jailed for failure to pay rent has been referred to two committees.

Today was the hearing in the second committee.

Fewer lawyers among the committee members this time – and more questions.

I care very deeply about the right to legal counsel.

Answering the questions was a challenge I relish.