What do yachts and smokeless tobacco have in common?

They’re both getting tax cuts from the Republican legislature.

Members of the Texas House on Wednesday approved a bill to lower a tax on Red Man and other brands of loose-leaf chewing tobacco.

When Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland , laid out House Bill 2599, one freshman House member from Central Texas couldn’t believe his ears.

“I just had to clarify. It’s cutting taxes to chewing tobacco?” a shocked Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, asked from the floor.

Isaac was the only member to question the measure, which passed 83-53.

“We just created an incentive for people to use cancer-causing products,” Isaac said after the bill was approved. “When we have the fiscal problems that we have, it’s wrong to be cutting taxes on products like chewing tobacco.”

Here’s HB2599. For reasons unclear to me, it drew support and opposition from both parties. It does have a fiscal note that claims it will have no significant fiscal impact on the state, because as the story notes there will likely be more people chawing. As if that were something to celebrate. There are days when I really don’t understand the Legislature.

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