COLOMBIA – South Carolina cities and counties would be banned from limiting sales of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, according to legislation that is advancing in the House.
A 15-7 vote on April 6 of the House Judiciary Committee sent the bill to the House floor for debate.
Supporters said they did not want local governments to create a statewide mess of fees and rules that would hurt business and reduce state tax revenue.
State taxes on cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products totaled nearly $ 146 million in the past fiscal year, according to State Revenue and the Office of Tax Affairs.
Opponents include more than a dozen public health groups that have asked lawmakers to reject the proposal co-sponsored by Republican and Democratic House leaders.
“We ask that you … help prevent another generation from becoming addicted to tobacco products,” says a March 23 letter from groups like the SC Cancer Alliance and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
As amended, the measure will prevail in any local decrees enacted prior to December 31, 2020. This would allow Myrtle Beach to maintain its ban on sales of tobacco, hemp oil and spray products within a 10-block section throughout. from Ocean Boulevard, if he survives a legal challenge.
It is unclear how many other local rules there are. Defense groups representing local governments did not know immediately.
“The idea is to establish a state standard and not have a hodgepodge of rules related to these products,” said state deputy Micah Caskey, R-West Columbia. “This is an attempt to move forward on this issue so that we don’t end up with more.”
Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said city leaders worked with lawmakers to preserve the council’s 2018 vote.
“Myrtle Beach is a unique city and sometimes a standardized approach is not the best for our community,” she told The Post and Courier.
In January 2019, nine companies processed the decision by the Myrtle Beach City Council to ban the sale of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes in the city’s entertainment district. They are allowed to sell their products as the lawsuit proceeds in court, reported The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News.
Some lawmakers argued against creating exceptions to legislation designed to create uniformity across the state.
“If we are going to do a state policy, I think it needs to be a state policy and not a grandfather in decrees that can be legally suspect right now,” said state deputy Russell Fry, R-Surfside Beach, located just south of Myrtle Beach.
The bill does not affect the ability of local governments to use zoning laws to regulate where tobacco companies can be located within their borders.
Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @ AdamNewshound12.