Sen. Anthony Broadman proposes tax on all nicotine pouches to fund wildfire efforts
Tracee Tuesday
BEND, Ore. [KTVZ] — Oregon Senator Anthony Broadman has introduced a bold amendment aimed at better funding the state’s wildfire prevention efforts.
Oregon lawmakers have dedicated much of this legislative session to developing a new funding strategy to help the state better respond to increasingly severe wildfires.
One of the latest proposals: an amendment to House Bill 3940, a tax on the sale of oral nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches.
This proposal follows Oregon’s House-passed HB 3940, which would levy 65 cents on nicotine pouches with up to 20 units, plus an additional 3 cents per extra unit.
The expected revenue is 14.3 million dollars over two years.
The revenue would be split between two state wildfire mitigation programs: one-third to the Landscape Resiliency Fund and two-thirds to the Community Risk Reduction Fund. The same amendment also pulls interest revenue from the state’s rainy-day fund to double the impact.
Former Bend City Councilor and current Oregon Democratic Senator, Anthony Broadman, who offered the amendment along with Oregon Democratic Representative, Pam Marsh said, this proposed tax is one of the most reasonable amendments, to keep up with rising wildfire costs.
“We have a proposal in front of the legislature – a new tax on synthetic nicotine. So, products like ZYN, which you’ll see in convenience stores, it’s currently untaxed.”
Broadman also said, “It has a nexus to wildfire risk in that it is a public health issue, and where we’re used to taxing nicotine to ensure that we’re providing public health solutions, and so for 65 cents a can for about a penny for every milligram of nicotine, that’s in one of these cans, we can, help keep our community safe from wildfire.”
Every inch of Oregon is susceptible to wildfires.
“Every pouch that is sold in Oregon stores will hopefully help prevent a community, or timber, wildlife or, our forests, from the risk of catastrophic wildfire,” said Sen. Broadman.
KTVZ News spoke with a number of convenience stores and local family markets like Bruce and Nikki’s Parkway Deli, in Bend.
We asked, if nicotine pouches are taxed, do you think customers would still buy the product.
“Oh yeah, absolutely I do. And, I think, we’ll hear some complaints, but in the long run it’s only bringing the price up to the same price as the tobacco products such as Copenhagen and Skol and whatnot, so it’ll be the same prices,” said Bruce and Nikki’s Parkway Deli Cashier, Michael Wallace.
The amendment awaits a vote in the Oregon Senate as lawmakers rush to finalize budget measures ahead of the June 29th adjournment.
KTVZ News will continue to follow whether this nicotine tax amendment survives the legislative process.