Politics
Heat-not-burn legislation is getting hot in Tallahassee
When Floridians hear about less harmful alternatives to smoking cigarettes, they most often think of vaping, which has garnered criticism due to some industry players’ efforts to seemingly market to children fruity flavors reminiscent of various candies.
But another alternative is beginning to gain traction in the U.S., and efforts to make it available and regulated in Florida are underway. Heat-not-burn, or heated tobacco products (HTPs), use real tobacco. But instead of lighting a cigarette with fire and burning the tobacco as it is inhaled, these products heat the tobacco, creating an aerosol mist.
Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Rep. Chase Tramont are sponsoring legislation (SB 1418, HB 785) that would exclude HTPs from the definition of “cigarette” and include HTPs in the definition of “tobacco products,” setting up a taxing structure different from that of traditional cigarettes.
The Senate version would additionally amend the definition of “tobacco product” in state statute to include HTPs and would remove HTPs from statute taxing other tobacco products.
Both measures have easily cleared their first committees and await two more stops before heading to full chamber votes.
During both hearings — Ways and Means for the House bill and Regulated Industries for the Senate version — every speaker present either spoke or waved in support. Only one member, Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani, voted “no.” Eskamani said she wanted additional information during the hearing earlier this month.
While HTPs still contain nicotine and still present possible risks, they are a less harmful alternative to traditional tobacco products, according to various reports on the issue. Dominic Calabro, President and CEO of Florida TaxWatch, recently penned an op-ed in this publication noting the harms of cigarettes — more than 32,000 Floridians die from smoking each year — and pointing to HTPs as a less harmful and less expensive option.
With the cost of health care from smoking-related illness estimated at more than $10 billion annually in Florida alone, Florida TaxWatch is advocating for incentives to move smokers away from cigarettes and, if they can’t or won’t quit, toward less harmful products. The group is supporting a “different tax treatment” for HTPs that would make them more affordable than cigarettes, which are taxed at about $1.33 per pack.
Doug Wheeler of the James Madison Institute has also spoken in support of the legislation, referencing a publication from his group advocating for keeping alternative tobacco products, like HTPs, tax-free.
“Harm reduction is a crucial aspect of sound tobacco and nicotine tax design,” the journal article reads. “Rather than trying to preclude the negative health outcomes associated with certain behaviors via prohibition or excessive taxation, those health outcomes can instead be more practically improved by incentivizing consumption of less harmful alternatives.”
The article points to an example in Minnesota where the state hiked the tax on vaping products from 35% to 95%, leading to more than 32,000 people not quitting traditional cigarettes.
The article lists a variety of alternative tobacco products and assigns each to a taxation category. HTPs fall in the group’s second category, calling for a tax rate at 25% that of combustible cigarettes. Other products — vaporizers and oral tobacco — are placed in category 3 at 10% of the tax rate for cigarettes. Patches, gums and lozenges — products typically used for smoking cessation — are in the fourth category, calling for no tax.
“This is important because it is the toxic smoke from cigarettes that is most responsible for smoking related diseases like emphysema and cancer,” DiCeglie said of the effort during a Senate hearing earlier this month. “Under this bill, members of the Legislature would be creating an accurate definition for heated tobacco products that distinguish them from cigarettes.”
And nodding to support from the Florida Retail Federation, DiCeglie also called for market clarity.
“The bill would simply update Florida code to make explicit what is already implicit, that the current definitions that carry excise taxes do not include HTPs,” he said.
The conversation is heating up now that HTPs are becoming available in the U.S. While some popular brands such as Ploom are still unavailable here, others are now being offered.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently authorized Philip Morris International’s IQOS products in flavors mimicking those of existing cigarette flavors. The FDA is reviewing an R.J. Reynolds product called Eclipse, and it is expected to come to market soon. Altria is also taking steps to commercialize HTPs.
DiCeglie’s bill is awaiting hearings in the Finance and Tax and Appropriations committees, while Tramont’s is awaiting the Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee and the Commerce Committee.
As the National President of Born to Ride for 45, I’m here to tell you what I saw in Tallahassee this week. I rode all the way to the Capitol with my brothers and sisters to fight for affordable auto insurance in Florida in support of HB 1181. Why? Because Florida’s current system is a raw deal for us and it’s time for change.
It’s been suggested that we were at the Capitol doing the bidding of other organizations – LIES. I stand with and for the 1.5 million bikers in Florida – add in their wives and children and you’re talking about 3 million residents of this state. That’s 3 million voters that are paying attention.
Here’s the truth: when my fellow bikers get maimed, there’s no one else left to turn to, no one else fighting for us. That’s why I’m out there fighting for real change. Changes that mean everyone is responsible on Florida roads.
What I saw this week in Tallahassee made me mad. We the people – regular Floridians – are going up against a corporate insurance industry that’s been protected by a bureaucracy that coddles the rich and powerful, backed by a couple of high-level politicians. And what’s at stake? Our ability to afford to live in Florida.
This isn’t just about repealing PIP. It’s about a no-fault system that’s rigged against working-class people, the ones struggling with inflated insurance premiums, while the big corporations cash in and no one takes responsibility. And boy, have they cashed in. It’s time for a responsibility-based system that protects everyone on the roads when they are injured in an accident and puts some money back where it belongs – in the people’s pockets!
Testifying before lawmakers, I showed them my pocket Constitution and reminded them they swore an oath on it, an oath to “We the People.” Not, we the insurance companies.
I was also in Tallahassee in 2023 when lawmakers passed the “reforms” they’re now trying to tell us worked. They didn’t work for anyone other than insurance executives.
Florida has the highest rates in America, and they haven’t gone down. No one’s rates have gone down, and now they’re trying to block a bill that would eliminate a garbage insurance requirement that doesn’t protect anyone – especially not guys and gals who ride. I’m willing to bet it does protect insurance companies’ bottom line, though!
I don’t know what “consumers” the insurance industry and politicians are talking to when they claim these reforms are a “win.” Everyone I know is still getting hammered with higher costs — again, the highest in the nation.
President Donald Trump told it to us straight during the campaign. He noted that we “have the highest insurance in the nation, and the bill they passed made it good for the insurance companies.” And make no mistake—those rates specifically discriminate against freedom bikers like us.
The so-called “reforms” didn’t reduce anything. They’ve only continued to stack the deck in favor of the insurance companies while leaving regular Floridians to pick up the tab. Nothing’s gotten better. It’s just the same old scam. You know what they say about lipstick on a pig, right?
And trust me, I know Donald Trump. Using his name to justify these so-called reforms is not right. What he said was the truth: Florida’s reforms were the most significant insurance industry bailout and a total SCAM!
He said in 2024, “Your automobile insurance is up 73%. VOTE FOR TRUMP, I’LL CUT THAT NUMBER IN HALF!” HB 1181 is the harbinger of that. We need a system for the people, not for the profits. Nothing has changed for the better. The system’s more rigged, complicated, and less accountable than ever.
The only people benefiting from these “reforms” are the corporate elites and a few politicians. Meanwhile, Floridians are still struggling to afford basic insurance. We were promised relief, not a scam.
But here’s the good news: Byron Donalds will change that, so I support him for Governor.
It’s time for leadership that fights for the people and an affordable Florida. Leadership that embraces the Constitutional oath of “for the people.”
Because when they don’t, we the people will be watching, and we will keep riding.
___
George Colella is the National President of Born to Ride for 45.
In the ever-growing conversation about infrastructure, mobility, and quality of life, one message is rolling across Florida loud and clear: public transit matters.
In January, the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA) launched a bold new initiative to remind Floridians that buses, trains, and paratransit services are not just vehicles; they are lifelines.
Dubbed “Transit Connects Florida,” the statewide campaign is as expansive as the systems it aims to promote. With over 40 member agencies spanning everything from urban rail systems to rural bus routes, FPTA’s reach is vast. Now, with a fresh digital tool and an ambitious media blitz, they aim to make public transportation personal.
“Transit connects people to so many things that are important in their lives,” said Karen Deigl, FPTA Chair and president/CEO of Senior Resource Association in Vero Beach. “Family, fun, health, commerce, and adventure — that’s what’s on the other side of the ride.”
The campaign, spearheaded by Central Florida-based marketing agency Global-5, is rooted in a clear message: connection. Floridians already make connections by taking nearly 160 million passenger transit trips every year and covering almost 850 million passenger miles.
Now, the goal is to multiply them.
A digital doorway to transit
At the center of the campaign is the sleek new website, TransitConnectsFlorida.com, which aims to be a one-stop shop for Floridians wondering how to get from Point A to Point Better. With just a county name, users can access contact info for their local transit system, whether it is buses in Tampa, trains in Broward, or paratransit services in Tallahassee.
It is designed to be simple and intuitive and, like transit itself, built around the idea that everyone should have a ride.
Moving the message
To bring that message to the masses, FPTA is going full throttle with a multimedia ad campaign targeting all markets throughout Florida. Billboards, streaming audio, radio spots, and social media ads spotlight real-world destinations where transit makes a difference: the job interview, the doctor’s appointment, the beach, or even Grandma’s house.
The hope? That Floridians will start to see public transportation not just as an option, but as their option.
“Transit is good for Florida,” Deigl emphasized. “It increases mobility for residents and visitors, and it creates a five-to-one economic return for our communities.”
That kind of ROI is impressive and essential, especially as state and local leaders weigh long-term investments in sustainability, equity, and smart growth.
A long-term ride
While the ad campaign is expected to run through Florida’s 2025 Legislative Session, the tools it introduces are built to last. The website will remain a permanent part of Florida’s transit landscape, helping residents across the Sunshine State explore their mobility options for years to come.
The campaign lands at a crucial time for lawmakers, advocates, and everyday commuters. As more cities wrestle with congestion, weather challenges, and the needs of aging populations, transit is poised to play a starring role.
If FPTA has anything to say about it, that role starts with a simple idea: connection.
So, next time you hear the familiar whoosh of doors opening or see the blink of an approaching bus, remember: the ride is not just about where you are going. It is about what — and who — you will connect with along the way.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that “I’m not joking” about trying to serve a third term, the clearest indication he is considering ways to breach a constitutional barrier against continuing to lead the country after his second term ends in early 2029.
“There are methods which you could do it,” Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC News.
He also said “it is far too early to think about it.”
The 22nd Amendment, which was added to the Constitution in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times in a row, says “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Trump if one potential avenue to a third term was having Vice President JD Vance run for the top job and “then pass the baton to you.”
“Well, that’s one,” Trump responded. “But there are others too. There are others.”
“Can you tell me another?” Welker asked.
“No,” Trump replied.
Vance’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Trump, who would be 82 at the end of his second term, was asked whether he would want to keep serving in “the toughest job in the country” at that point.
“Well, I like working,” the president said.
He suggested that Americans would go along with a third term because of his popularity. He falsely claimed to have “the highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years.”
Gallup data shows President George W. Bush reaching a 90% approval rating after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. His father, President George H.W. Bush, hit 89% following the Gulf War in 1991.
Trump has maxed out at 47% in Gallup data during his second term, despite claiming to be “in the high 70s in many polls, in the real polls.”
Trump has mused before about serving longer than two terms before, generally with jokes to friendly audiences.
“Am I allowed to run again?” he said during a House Republican retreat in January.
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