TOB Magazine

CRA'S CIGAR CORNER

[ GLYNN LOOPE ]

[

17 ]

[ 5 ]

TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

[ 01

17 ]

In that event, we will need cigar voters across the na-

tion to petition their members of the House and Senate

in support of exemption language that prevents FDA

from advancing their draconian proposals, as approved

by the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations

Committee on April 19, 2016. The U.S. Senate will be

of special concern in the event of this action, and we will

keep our cigar brethren informed of any such need for

outreach to Congress, or The White House.

Fortunately for the cause of cigar politics—and due

largely to the groundwork laid by CRA and the Inter-

national Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association—

there is a foundation and established network of advocates

in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

In 2017, there will be 145 returning co-sponsors of

H.R. 662 in the House of Representatives and 20 return-

ing members of the U.S. Senate who are current co-spon-

sors of S. 442, calling for exemption from FDA oversight.

We also look forward to working with new members of

Congress, and initiating our education in their offices as

to why we are different, and undeserving of the treatment

being plotted by the federal bureaucracy.

In the continuing effort to build cigar smokers into a

true political constituency, CRA announced a program

known as “Path to 435.” This initiative seeks to have a

designated cigar advocate for each congressional district

in America as a point person who personally knows his

or her congressman and senators and can speak and act

on our collective behalf—as a constituent—as a local (ci-

gar) voter. There is to be a statewide CRA advocate that

will work with volunteers throughout their given state as

we become more of a force in our nation’s politics.

We are pleased to note that with the new Congress,

we have over 100 congressional districts identified and

over 20 statewide chairs that will be our foundation in

2017 with the new House of Representatives and Senate.

This will assist with outreach for membership growth,

petition promotion, and outreach to elected officials.

The election did not just mean change in Washington,

D.C. The people spoke on issues at the state level, as well.

It is great to report that measures to raise tobacco

taxes, specifically on cigars, were defeated in Colorado,

Missouri and North Dakota. It is unfortunate that a re-

lated measure passed in California, despite the efforts of

the consumer and retail tobacconist community in the

state, and tens of millions of dollars spent by tobacco

business interests in a repeated attempt to defeat such a

tax increase. The impact of this tax increase will surely

demand legislative attention, as the state learns of the

error made on election night.

It’s hard to believe, but 2017 will soon be upon us. With

that, dozens of state legislatures will be going into session

through the nation. Smoking ban bills will no doubt be

filed in a collection of states, tax increases filed in others.

As in Washington, we will each need to remain vig-

ilant in our efforts to be “citizen advocates” to protect

our passion for great cigars and for the freedom to enjoy

perfectly legal tobacco products from the actions and

agenda of the nanny state. Stay informed by visiting

CigarRights.org

TBI

Fortunately for the

cause of cigar politics—

and due largely to the

groundwork laid by CRA

and the International

Premium Cigar & Pipe

Retailers Association—

there is a foundation and

established network

of advocates in the U.S.

House of Representa-

tives and U.S. Senate.

J. Glynn Loope is

executive director

of Cigar Rights

of America.