Tobacco companies sue to snuff out Oregon s new equity assessment thelundreport.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thelundreport.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A federal judge on Monday denied the request of certain cigarette manufacturers to halt the portion of a voter-approved nicotine and tobacco tax measure that established a minimum price for cigarettes.
Coloradans voted in favor of Proposition EE in the November general election, which set the price of cigarettes to at least $7 per package, among other changes. Three companies that make discount cigarettes Liggett Group, Vector Tobacco and Xcaliber International plus Littleton resident and cigarette user Jennifer A. Smith filed a federal complaint, asking for a preliminary injunction to prevent the price floor from taking effect.
The plaintiffs had argued the provision violated the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution by discriminating against them, with benefits accruing to in-state retailers of cigarettes. By establishing a price floor, they contended, any money not remitted to the state in the form of taxes would accrue to the sellers of cigarettes.