Tobacco

Wash. State Retailers Deliver Signatures to Capital

C-store owners, employees protest proposed cigarette tax, more
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Owners and employees of 7-Eleven convenience stores around Washington state have delivered 23,000 signatures to lawmakers in the capital, Olympia, reported KPLU Radio. They are protesting plans by the governor and state Senate Democrats to increase the tax on cigarettes by $1.

Democrats in the state Senate say their cigarette tax increase will bring in nearly $86 million dollars in the next two years. That would help avoid cuts for the Basic Health Plan for low-income workers, said the report.

Franchisee Prit Singh owns five 7-Eleven stores in the [image-nocss] Seattle area. "It really hurts everybody you know, not only me, but my customers too, and my employees too," he told the National Public Radio affiliate. "Everybody."

House Democrats have yet to unveil their tax proposal; however, Republican leaders in the House and Senate are united in their opposition to the cigarette tax, according to the report.

Governor Christine Gregoire's budget proposals also include soda and candy taxes.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Mergers & Acquisitions

Soft Landing Now, But If Anyone Is Happy, Please Stand Up to Be Seen

Addressing the economic elephants in the room and their impact on M&A

Foodservice

Opportunities Abound With Limited-Time Offers

For success, complement existing menu offerings, consider product availability and trends, and more, experts say

Snacks & Candy

How Convenience Stores Can Improve Meat Snack, Jerky Sales

Innovation, creative retailers help spark growth in the snack segment

Trending

More from our partners