The Rocky Mountain Smoke Free Alliance is a non-profit Trade Association working to preserve the rights of small businesses in the Colorado vaping industry.
Denver, CO
Joined July 2018
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Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
LOVELAND, COLORADO: (URGENT CALL TO ACTION!) TOMORROW, November 17th, city council will consider BANNING flavored tobacco and vapor products, with some falsely claiming flavors are "driving" the thoroughly debunked "teen vaping epidemic." TAKE ACTION NOW!
casaa.org/call-to-action/lov…
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
R Street Policy Study: Switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes can save Medicaid $2.8 billion over 25 years rstreet.org/2018/03/13/r-str… via @RSI @JoeBiden @SenKamalaHarris #wevapewevote #ecigssavelives
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
I'll add that as journalists we should have found these things much sooner, but the final days of a legislative session are CRAZY. No sleep. A lot happening. You just want to get it over with.
Plus coronavirus. Plus an election year.
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
But I can tell you that in 2017, Altria dropped more than $16 million to successfully fight a cigarette tax increase in Colorado. This year, they haven't spent a penny in the Proposition EE battle. #copolitics (end)
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
Since Liggett has threatened to sue, state lawmakers won't discuss the bill that put Proposition EE on the ballot with me. So I can't tell you why they made these policy choices.
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
The MRTP products made by Altria are part of its IQOS system, which the company sees as its future. It's a cross between a traditional cigarette and a vaping device.
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
Then, a few weeks ago, I learned that Proposition EE would actually **reduce** taxes on a certain subset of tobacco products, called "modified-risk tobacco products."
There are only 12 products with that designation in the U.S. Altria is behind four of them.
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
Discount cigarette brands complained that would effectively hand Altria, which makes Marlboro, the market share in Colorado.
One company, Liggett Group, is even preparing a lawsuit: coloradosun.com/2020/08/13/c…
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
A few months later, we found out about a "minimum-price" provision in the bill, which requires that -- if Proposition EE passes -- a pack of cigarettes be sold for no less than $7 and a carton for no less than $70 starting next year.
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
Altria, which for years has fought cigarette and tobacco tax increases in Colorado, was suddenly neutral, which raised a lot of eyebrows.
The legislation passed mostly along party lines.
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
After the bill was introduced, we found out that it was negotiated behind the scenes between Democratic lawmakers, Gov. Jared Polis' office, health advocacy groups and the international tobacco giant Altria. #copolitics
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
The bill came out of nowhere and was introduced on the day before the lawmaking term was *supposed* to end. Legislation needs at least three days to pass, so the legislative session was extended a few more days to accommodate the measure and a few others. #copolitics
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
House Bill 1427, which lawmakers passed to put Proposition EE on the ballot, was introduced in the final days of the legislative session. It was a massive piece of tax policy. Some legislators and journalists (me) complained it was dropped too fast for a thorough vetting.
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
Here's a thread on Proposition EE that's on Colorado's ballot this year. It's the question about raising tobacco taxes. We've been digging into it for months. Here's my latest story:
coloradosun.com/2020/10/13/p… #copolitics #coleg
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
Youth use of vaping products dropped 29% last year. We do not need flavor bans that will close even more businesses in order to protect Phoenix kids. Do not believe the lies. Common sense policies work much better than Prohibition. Let’s find a solution that works for everyone
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
The black market does not collect taxes or age verify. #WeVapeWeVote #vapingsaveslives save small businesses!
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
Does Colorado really want to replicate New York’s tobacco tax policies? #WeVapeWeVote #vapingsaveslives
Author of “I can’t breathe “ the death of Eric Garner blames @MikeBloomberg and his Prohibitionist policies for the death of Garner. Now Bloomberg is running for President to continue his deadly policies. #WeVapeWeVote #flavors #banbloomberg
Rocky Mountain Smoke-Free Alliance retweeted
VOTE NO ON EE. CO Dem. Legislators made a back door deal with Big Tobacco to hammer small businesses worse than B.T. Hold CO Legislators feet to the fire for their budget windfall, not taxpayers. Polis' main grift is raising taxes in the name of education. VOTE NO ON EE!!!!