Georgia

Bill to increase Georgia cigarette tax stalls in House committee

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2023

Bill to increase Georgia cigarette tax stalls in House committee

Payments to up Georgia’s tax on cigarettes, vaping merchandise might not go

It seems payments launched to extend Georgia’s tax on cigarettes and vaping merchandise might not transfer ahead this session. Traditionally talking, Georgia has not raised its tobacco tax because the early 2000s when Sonny Perdue was nonetheless governor.

ATLANTA – Two payments geared toward rising state excise taxes on cigarettes and vaping merchandise have probably died for this session on the state Capitol.

State Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, sponsored each payments and stated he had two foremost objectives to assist offset among the state’s medical prices and to scale back the variety of Georgians smoking.

“They trigger most cancers, lung illness, coronary heart illness and on and on and on,” stated Rep. Stephens, who misplaced his personal father to lung most cancers.

Presently, Georgia has one of many lowest taxes on cigarettes within the nation at simply 37 cents per pack. Beneath Rep. Stephens’ invoice, that may go as much as 57 cents per pack, the identical fee as South Carolina. The typical state cigarette tax is $1.91 per pack.

Rep. Stephens stated elevating the cigarette tax would generate about $90 million yearly for the state, which might assist offset among the practically $700 million Georgia pays in Medicaid prices for smoking-related diseases.

“Most significantly, as the value goes up, consumption goes down, all people’s well being is best,” Rep. Stephens defined.

Rep. Stephens additionally filed laws to extend the tax on vaping merchandise from 5 cents per fluid milliliter to fifteen%.

Members of the Home Tax Revision Subcommittee, nonetheless, have been fast to extinguish the payments at a listening to Feb. 22.

“That is nothing greater than a tax on the poor the way in which I see it. And I do not know when as a rustic or when as a authorities we wish to penalize any individual for freedom that they bought and I believed that is what this nation was constructed on,” stated state Rep. Jason Ridley, R-Chatsworth.

In response, Rep. Stephens drafted a invoice to take away all excise taxes from cigarettes in Georgia.

“You already know, we’re Republicans. We do not like to lift taxes, so among the members that had questions in opposition to elevating the tax, this takes it to zero,” stated Rep. Stephens. “It will make us the bottom within the nation. The one strategy to make us any decrease is that if we paid individuals to smoke.”

To this point, Rep. Stephens stated he has not had any lawmakers provide to sponsor that laws.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured Ga Ga Politics health news Politics us

Click to comment

Georgia

Georgia Tech Baseball Wins ACC Regular Season Championship With Dominating 8-2 Win Over Duke

Published

10 hours ago

May 17, 2025

Press Room

Georgia Tech Baseball Wins ACC Regular Season Championship With Dominating 8-2 Win Over Duke

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are the 2025 ACC Regular Season Champions! With a dominating win over Duke today to win the series and a little bit of help elsewhere, Georgia Tech has won the regular season title in the ACC.

Georgia Tech finished the regular season at 39-16 (19-11 ACC) and won back-to-back series against ranked ACC teams to get it done. Last weekend, Georgia Tech overcame a bad game one performance to beat Louisville and this weekend, they took game one and game three vs Duke to seal the deal in Danny Hall’s last season.

The big goals lay ahead for Georgia Tech though. They will now be the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and there is a path to them hosting a regional if they are not a one-and-done next week.

The win today came courtesy of some timely home runs and a great bullpen performance from Jaylen Paden.

Burress was hit by a pitch and then advanced to second before he was brought in by Schmidt to make it 1-0. It was the only run of the inning, but Georgia Tech was on the board.

After Duke tied it up, the Yellow Jackets got the lead back for good in the 4th. A pair of singles from Hernandez and Lackey put two runners on and then a 2-RBI double from Kerce gave Georgia Tech a 3-1 lead. Baker flew out and Rogers struck out to end the inning, but the Yellow Jackets were back in front.

A homerun in the 4th cut Georgia Tech’s lead in half, but they did not take long to respond. Hernandez and Lackey singled to put two runners on base and then a sac fly from Lodise got the lead to 4-2 and that was the lead heading to the bottom of the 5th

Baker singled and Rogers walked to put two runners on and then an RBI double from Burress pushed the lead to 5-2. Schmidt popped out and Lodise struck out to end the inning, but the Yellow Jackets stretched their lead

Jaylen Paden was fantastic in this game. He pitched four innings of scoreless baseball and kept the Yellow Jackets in front, striking out three batters in the process. Burress and Hernandez added a pair of homers to make it 8-2 and that was the final score. Georgia Tech captured the ACC regular season and will now head in as one of the favorites to win the Tournament.

Source link

Georgia

Georgia Lottery Mega Millions, Cash 3 results for May 16, 2025

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2025

Press Room

The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at May 16, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 16 drawing

02-22-42-62-66, Mega Ball: 14

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from May 16 drawing

Midday: 5-5-7

Evening: 1-7-8

Night: 7-2-4

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from May 16 drawing

Midday: 1-6-9-2

Evening: 6-0-9-5

Night: 6-6-2-9

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from May 16 drawing

01-21-25-26-36, Cash Ball: 03

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 16 drawing

Early Bird: 09

Matinee: 01

Drive Time: 06

Primetime: 09

Night Owl: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Georgia FIVE numbers from May 16 drawing

Midday: 7-3-6-4-0

Evening: 7-4-6-7-6

Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from May 16 drawing

06-13-15-25-33

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes under $601: Can be claimed at any Georgia Lottery retail location. ALL PRIZES can be claimed by mail to: Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
Prizes over $600: Must be claimed at Georgia Lottery Headquarters or any Georgia Lottery district office or mailed to the Georgia Lottery for payment.

When are the Georgia Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Cash 3 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Early Bird): 8 a.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Matinee): 1 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Drive Time): 5 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Primetime): 8 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Night Owl): 11:59 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Fantasy 5: 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Jumbo Bucks Lotto: 11 p.m. ET on Monday and Thursday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Georgia editor. You can send feedback using this form. Our News Automation and AI team would love to hear from you. Take this survey and share your thoughts with us.

Source link

Georgia

Dad of five vanishes while kayaking on Georgia lake long rumored to be haunted

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2025

Press Room

Dad of five vanishes while kayaking on Georgia lake long rumored to be haunted

A huge search is underway for a Georgia father of five who appears to have vanished while kayaking on a lake long rumored to be haunted.

Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he didn’t show up to pick up his children from school — with cops then finding his car parked at Little Ridge Park on Lake Lanier, 11 Alive reported

Evidence suggested that Valencia had gone kayaking on the lake, but his inflatable raft was nowhere to be seen, according to authorities.

Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he didn’t show up to pick up his kids from school. Courtesy Valencia family

A huge ongoing search was launched Thursday on land and water, with multiple units using drones and specialist marine search equipment.

Lake Lanier, where Valencia disappeared, was built in the 1950s over submerged towns, forests, and cemeteries — and has been a location for eerie scenes in the Netflix drama “Ozark,” CNN previously reported.

Since 1994, over 200 people have died in the lake’s waters — with locals long suggesting the lake is haunted.

One of the most-repeated legends is the “Lady of the Lake,” supposedly the ghost of a woman whose car crashed into the lake who has since been spotted restlessly wandering at night in a blue dress.

Friends say Valencia, a triathlete, was in peak condition.

“A group of us met at his church for a vigil, prayed, and then we left to come find him,” Cat Fritts, a friend who last saw Valencia early Tuesday morning during a workout, told WBSTV about the hunt to find him.

“He’s got five kids. I can’t imagine what his family is going through. I think they would want everyone to know and go look for him and spread the word,” she said.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who spots a stray inflatable kayak to contact their office.

Source link