A Senate subcommittee advanced a bill that would tax alternative tobacco and vape products.
The bill (SSB 3193) would impose a tax of 5 cents per container on products like nicotine gum and patches. It would also tax vape products at 5 cents per milliliter of nicotine.
Up to $3 million of the tax revenue would go to pediatric cancer research per year.
Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, is opposed to the legislation. He said he agrees with anti-tobacco lobbyists who testified that the tax isn’t nearly high enough to deter the use of the products.
“I'd really like to see us taxing at a closer level to what a package of cigarettes is, if you're going to be able to really make some impact on getting people off of the smoking and often nicotine altogether,” he said.
Republican lawmakers who support the bill said it’s a starting point and the tax amount can be adjusted.