Massachusetts Rep. Kay Khan has introduced a bill that would double the state’s excise tax on alcohol. The taxes, she said, could net $435 million in revenue to fund public health programs, including some for substance abuse.
The bill, H. 2973, if passed, would double all alcohol excise taxes across the board.
The alcohol beverage industry has been concerned that states might look at raising alcohol taxes to gain revenue to offset economic relief funds that were spent in the last 18 months due to the pandemic. This will be an interesting bill to watch as it could portend the appetite by state legislatures to increase taxes on alcohol.
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