Published: 02-20-09
San Antonio Lawmaker Continues To Push Legislative Agenda Designed to Hold the Line On New Taxes While Using Innovative Measures to Safeguard Vital Public Services
(Austin) State Representative Roland Gutierrez today filed legislation that would help generate millions of dollars in critical revenue for Texas by closing a longstanding tax loophole on smokeless tobacco products.
The current financial crisis calls on us to think creatively about how to fund the important programs Texans rely on without asking them to pay more in state taxes Gutierrez said.
Gutierrezs House Bill 1289 would close the current loophole in the states excise tax that calculates some tobacco products tax liability according to price instead of weight. Applying the excise tax more fairly across all tobacco products would bring in $100 million in additional revenue to fund important state services.
The bill would safeguard the monies already allocated to the Property Tax Relief Fund through a hold harmless section Gutierrez said.
Roland Gutierrez represents House District 119 which encompasses part of Bexar County. For further information on this or other issues contact his office at (512) 463-0452 email him at
district119.gutierrez@house.state.tx.us or visit the Texas House of Representatives website at
http://www.house.state.tx.us/.
