The Lone Libertarian

Hot on the heels of the “Tennessee Smoking Ban” set to begin on October 1st, it appears that Tennessee State Troopers (and Department of Revenue “Agents”) are going to stop motorists suspected of buying large quantities of cigarettes from neighboring states, charging them with possession of contraband and impounding their vehicles.

Agents have already been watching out-of-state stores that sell cigarettes near the Tennessee border to “get a feel where problem areas are,”

Hello New Tennessee Order. By “law” you are only allowed to carry two cartons of cigarettes from neighboring states into Tennessee.

Since Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen decided it would be a good idea to raise the cigarette tax from 20 cents per pack to 62 cents per pack, I guess Tennesseans close to the border states are buying their cigarettes elsewhere. It would seem that Mississippi and Missouri are attractive due to their taxes of 18 cents and 17 cents respectively.

Enter my question. Why is it a crime to seek a lower price for an item? Why doesn’t Tennessee stop Tennesseans who buy groceries and miscellaneous things in Mississippi (7% vs. 9.25% sales tax)? I saw a van full of stuff from a Sam’s Club entering Tennessee from Mississippi last week. It looked like there could have been $40-$50 of lost Tennessee revenue within the confines of the vehicle. Who should I contact about this attempt to cheat Tennessee out of it’s rightful share?

Seriously, what is the difference? Either way, taxes were not paid to Tennessee, and they stand to lose more money on the sales tax discrepancy than the cigarette tax.

On the matter, State Representative Stacey Campfield had the following to say.

“We’re not regulating the purchase of anything in another state,” he said. “We’re regulating the possession of contraband in Tennessee.”

Smokers beware of the temptation to posses “contraband” in Tennessee.