03/06/2007 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

            SB  84-TESTING & PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ELLIS   announced  SB  84,   version  M,  to  be   up  for                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
DANA OWEN,  staff to Senator  Ellis, said  SB 84, version  K, has                                                               
one change  from version M. At  the request of the  Department of                                                               
Revenue, sections 2  - 5 that had been dropped  from the original                                                               
bill were reinserted. This would  keep the department from having                                                               
to maintain two  different lists of cigarettes  that are eligible                                                               
to  be sold  in the  state and  to reduce  confusion amongst  the                                                               
retailers of cigarettes.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:33:54 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BUNDE said  he was  concerned about  the importation  of                                                               
smokeless tobacco and  circumventing some of existing  law and he                                                               
asked if the title was broad enough.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
JOANNA  BALES,  Manager,  Tobacco   Tax  Program,  Department  of                                                               
Revenue (DOR), said she didn't have a  copy of the CS in front of                                                               
her and didn't know if the title had been changed.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ELLIS  commented that  the title had  been tightened  up in                                                               
the previous version - M.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. OWEN explained  that version K reinstates  the original title                                                               
language  by  inserting  on  line 2  starting  at  "relating  to"                                                               
through "tax stamps;" on line 4.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:36:07 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  ELLIS said  he  would hold  the bill  until  later in  the                                                               
meeting  and asked  that  Ms. Bales  be sent  a  copy so  Senator                                                               
Bunde's question could be addressed.                                                                                            
            SB  84-TESTING & PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR ELLIS announced SB 84 to  be back before the committee. The                                                               
proposed CS had  been faxed to Ms.  Bales and asked if  she had a                                                               
chance to consider Senator Bunde's question about the title.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. BALES confirmed  that she had received it  and suggested that                                                               
the title is broad enough for changes  to Articles 5 and 6 of the                                                               
cigarette and tobacco products excise  tax statutes. Article 5 is                                                               
the  cigarette  directory and  Article  6  is the  cigarette  tax                                                               
stamp. However,  she suggested  confirming that  with Legislative                                                               
Legal.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BUNDE  said  the  question  had  been  answered  to  his                                                               
satisfaction.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:53:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt CSSB  84, version K. There were no                                                               
objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:54:03 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  STEVENS moved  to  pass CSSB  84(L&C),  version K,  from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
notes. There were no objections and it was so ordered.