By KPR
Frankfort, KY – Legislation to tax moist smokeless tobacco the same way as all other smokeless products has failed to pass out of committee. Sponsor Tommy Thompson claimed changing the taxing from a per unit assessment to basing the tax on value, simply restores fairness.'
"Now Kentucky is the only state in the united states that taxes moist snuff on a unit basis," he says.
Danny Kingings is plant manager of the U-S Smokeless tobacco plant in Hopkinsville. He says the facility, which produces moist snuff, purchases about half of all the dark leaf tobacco grown in Kentucky.
"Make no mistake about the effect of this bill. This bill is a tax increase on premium moist snuff tobacco products that my company makes."
The measure was defeated by a slim margin in the House budget committee.