Republican NC House Representative Chris Millis voted against a piece of legislation that a majority of his fellow Republican House members supported. Why? It is a NEW TAX and completely unnecessary.
The bill is titled Omnibus Tax Law Changes, and while the majority of the bill is directed at resolving oversights in last year’s tax reform package, there are two things that are not related to the tax reform package, a privilege license fee and a new excise tax on electronic cigarettes.
Representative Millis hits the nail on the head in his press release about the vote, “My vote was NOT because I desired higher excise tax on electronic cigarettes, but because I believe at this time that no such tax is warranted above and beyond the current sales tax.” Electronic cigarettes are already taxed at the state and local sales tax rates. To proposed an additional excise tax is bad tax policy and a tax increase when Republican’s promised North Carolina tax cuts.
If passed, North Carolina would be the second state in the entire nation to enact an excise tax on e-cigarettes. Why would North Carolina want a tax that even states like Massachusetts and California voted against? Unfortunately, there were only a few Republicans that voted against the measure in the House – Rep. Millis being one of 3 that voted against the bill.
The bill will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee early next week.
