Jump to full article: Philadelphia (PA) Inquirer, 2009-11-08
Author: Mario F. Cattabiani Inquirer Staff Writer
Intro: - When it became clear that the state budget was in crisis mode, three industries with much at stake in Harrisburg opened their wallets.
Gambling interests, natural-gas drillers, and tobacco companies have since January spent more than $4.5 million combined on lobbying efforts, according to expense reports filed last week with the state.
Those industries were among the few winners in a budget ravaged by the recession.
Casinos are poised to introduce poker and other newly legalized table games. Natural-gas drillers and tobacco companies fought off new taxes. . . .
Republican legislative leaders defeated the proposed cigar tax, along with one proposed for smokeless products such as chewing tobacco and snuff. Left standing was a new tax on little cigars - cigarillos.
In all, tobacco interests large and small spent nearly $1.5 million on lobbying from January through Sept. 30, records show.
Reynolds American Inc., whose subsidiary Conwood Co. is the nation's second-largest producer of smokeless tobacco products, devoted the most - $670,658.
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