Oregon lawmakers considering nicotine pouch tax to help pay for wildfire costs
2 min read
Lawmakers are considering a tax on oral nicotine pouches as a potential new plan to raise funds for wildfire mitigation and prevention.
The plan is part of an amendment to a bill that initially would have added a non-refundable fee to the bottle bill deposit. That non-refundable fee is now off the table, as many lawmakers expressed hesitancy to make changes to a successful program like the bottle bill.
The new tax on products like Zyn and Rogue would add .65 cents to each pack with 20 or fewer pouches. For packs with more than 20 pouches, a three-cent fee will be applied per pouch.
Democratic State Senator Jeff Golden (D-Ashland) said that this tax could generate up to $30 million to fight fires across Oregon over the next two years. A third of the money would be allocated towards mitigating costs, while the remainder would be dedicated to wildfire prevention.
The plan also involves allocating 20% of the interest earnings from the state’s reserve fund to wildfire prevention, which would amount to approximately $32.2 million.
https://katu.com/news/politics/oregon-lawmakers-considering-nicotine-pouch-tax-to-help-pay-for-wildfire-costs-governor-kotek-jeff-golden-
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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: June 19, 2025, 3:00 am.
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