Regulatory Reform, Cigarette Taxes, and Bullying

Regulatory Reform

CEI Vice President Wayne Crews is participating in a panel discussion on regulatory reform this morning at the U.S. Chamber.

Read more about the event here. For comments from Mr. Crews, contact Nicole Ciandella at 202.331.2773.

Cigarette Taxes

New Hampshire state legislators are debating whether to lower the cigarette tax from $1.78 to $1.68.

Policy Analyst Brian McGraw notes that the move should generate sales from out-of-state smokers.

“According to this map, Vermont ($2.24/pack), Maine (2.00), and Massachusetts ($2.51) all already have higher state taxes per pack. A $.10 per pack decrease isn’t incredibly significant, but it will be interesting to see what happens to tax revenues and other economic activity on the New Hampshire border.”

Bullying

New anti-bullying measures by the Obama Administration may be broadening the definition of harassment.

Senior Counsel Hans Bader points to a letter from the education department to school boards which claims that bullying violates federal laws against harassment.

“The letter left the incorrect impression with some reporters that federal statutes already ban bullying and sexual-orientation-based harassment. For example, Keen News Service reported that the Education Department ‘issued guidance to all school officials in October 2010, reminding them that federal law requires schools to take action against bullying,’ including ‘sexual harassment of LGBT students.'[…] In reality, there is no federal prohibition against bullying, and no federal statute prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination.”