Illinois Senate Bill 2328 has been introduced in the general assembly, proposing to raise the Other Tobacco Products (OTP) tax from 36% to 45%. 
This tax hike would have significant negative consequences for Illinois small businesses and premium cigar consumers. Higher taxes on premium cigars would drive customers to lower-cost out-of-state or online retailers, reducing in-state purchases and ultimately decreasing tax revenue for Illinois. This decline in local sales would place added pressure on small businesses, making it harder for them to stay afloat and potentially leading to job losses.
Take action now—urge your representatives to oppose Senate Bill 2328 and protect Illinois's small businesses and economy.

Take Action Now - Oppose Premium Cigar Tax Increase

As a premium cigar consumer and resident of Illinois, I am writing to urge you to oppose Senate Bill 2328, which seeks to increase the Other Tobacco Products (OTP) tax from 36% to 45%.

This proposed tax hike unfairly targets premium cigars, which are handcrafted, artisan products enjoyed infrequently and responsibly by adults—not mass-market tobacco products associated with public health concerns. Unlike cigarettes or other tobacco products, premium cigars are not habit-forming, are not typically used by youth, and do not contribute to the public health rationale often cited for tobacco taxation. Raising taxes on these products serves no legitimate public policy goal, but it does impose an unnecessary financial burden on small businesses and consumers.

Additionally, increasing taxes on premium cigars would drive consumers to purchase from lower-taxed online and out-of-state retailers, hurting local businesses while failing to generate the intended tax revenue. Instead of increasing state revenue, this tax hike would discourage in-state sales, harm small retailers, and threaten jobs in Illinois’s premium cigar industry.

I urge you to stand with Illinois’s small businesses, support fair taxation, and preserve responsible consumer choice by voting NO on Senate Bill 2328. Protect our economy, local jobs, and the premium cigar industry from the harmful impact of this misguided tax increase.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I trust you will support Illinois’s small businesses and responsible adult consumers.

Take Action Now - Oppose Premium Cigar Tax Increase

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