First, it takes a special kind of stupid to lose money when your only job is to take people’s property without due process of law and sell it: A report released today by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR) finds that from January 1-June 21, 2005, Tennessee’s Unauthorized Substances Tax (UST) cost taxpayers nearly […]

Look at me! I’m unconstitutional. Soon to be a collector’s item. Tom Humphrey: Basically, the majority said that illegal drugs are not subject to taxation under the state constitution, which authorizes taxes on “merchants, peddlers and privileges.” The tax is on possession, they reasoned, not sales so the possessors are not merchants or peddlers. And […]

Seems like Bredesen is finally getting it: Gov. Bredesen says it may be time to shut down the state’s tax on illegal drugs because of a recent appeals court opinion the so-called “crack tax” is unconstitutional. It is a stupid law.

Again? Seriously, how many times must this be ruled before, uh, a ruling actually gets rid of it? See prior rulings and coverage here. Full opinion here, via AC.

Bill Hobbs, who notes that the tax is unconstitutional, quotes: For a second consecutive year, the state Department of Revenue concealed the failures of the Unauthorized Substance Tax. In a press release issued Tuesday, the Department praised the Unauthorized Substance Tax, or “crack tax,” for generating $1.7 million in revenue collections. The Department, however, conveniently […]

I’ve covered the Tennessee tax stamp on illegal drugs for a while. Via the five people who emailed this to me this morning, comes the Tennessean: A Tennessee judge has ruled that a state law requiring drug dealers to pay taxes on their cocaine, marijuana and other illicit drugs is unconstitutional. The ruling by Davidson […]

Bill Hobbs notes that The Tennessean swallowed a press release hook, line and sinker. Bill notes the drug tax is costing more than it’s making (something I’ve already pointed out here many times). However . . . Bill also says: The Tennessean editorialized in favor of the tax on illegal drugs on April 14, 2004, […]

A reader sent me a scan of the Tennessee Department of Revenue Unauthorized Substances Stamp (note: Background on Tennessee’s Illegal Drug Tax can be found here). Here it is: It has a what I assume is a serial number. I also assume that means this is only the 127th one they sold. It costs the […]

Ben Livingston was tracking his efforts to purchase tax stamps on illegal drugs as required by Tennessee law. It starts out with this opening email: I am interested in purchasing the new illegal drug stamps that Tennessee now offers. I called this morning to purchase some of these, but I was told I could not […]

I’ve discussed Tennessee’s asinine illegal drug tax many times before. It’s only use seems to be taking people’s property without due process of law and there are reports that the tax stamps aren’t actually being sold. Tennessee Rep Stacey Campfield alerts us that: Tennessee Center for Policy Research has a new study out today which […]

Bill Hobbs notes that Tennessee will start taxing illegal drugs next year (I’ve mentioned this before). Says Bill: This actually works – and is a pretty good idea, though it sounds a bit odd at first. The law will require sellers of illegal drugs to pay excise taxes, just legal businesses. Most drug-pushers won’t comply, […]

Wired: In a video uploaded Oct. 6, an Anonymous spokesperson said that unless the Zetas release one of the group’s members, the group will reveal the photos, names and addresses of Zetas-affiliated cops and taxi drivers. (The member was allegedly kidnapped in the western coastal city of Veracruz during an “Operation Paperstorm” demonstration.) Anonymous also […]

At stop the drug war.

Gonzales expands the ATF. And proposes a law: As part of today’s announcement, the Department of Justice proposed the Violent Crime and Anti-Terrorism Act of 2007, a comprehensive package including violent crime legislation that amends and strengthens existing laws to ensure that federal law enforcement agencies are able to successfully investigate and prosecute many types […]

Seems that the .gov would rather let Angel Raich die an agonizing death than smoke a little weed. Jed says it for me: You know the drill; even if the state in which your reside and smoke has legalized medical use of marijuana, the feds can still bust your ass. It is a disgrace and […]

Tennessee’s illegal drug tax made the cable news.

Tax cuts, terror wars, drug wars: choose two. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wants to end U.S. Army helicopter support for a joint U.S.-Bahamas drug-interdiction program that over the past two decades has resulted in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of tons of cocaine and marijuana. […] But in a May 15 letter to Attorney […]

The Office of National Drug Control Policy decides to to podcasts. Their first interview is with Al Roker.

It’s also lucrative for the state. The Tennessean reports: Tennessee modeled its program to collect taxes on illegal drugs after North Carolina’s, but early returns indicate that the Volunteer State’s 6-month-old effort has been more successful. A report released yesterday showed that Tennessee had collected about six times more taxes on controlled substances as did […]

Reader Drake emails this article: The Legislature is considering new taxes and some fee increases, but it’s unlikely most people would pay them. One new tax would apply to drug dealers. Sen. Randy McNally, a Republican from Oak Ridge, proposes to tax marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs. Those who step forward to pay […]

Yahoo news: Crystal Foster’s father advised her to spend the $500,000 income tax refund she got two years ago. When the government came looking for its money, the Fosters said it was their rightful reparations, since their ancestors were slaves. Though there is no federal reparations program, Foster had spent the money in eight days, […]

tgirsch posts about the politics of obesity. While an interesting read, I must disagree with his proposed solutions: outlaw marketing products to children. Unconstitutional and pointless. Kids will still know what Twinkies are. limiting sweets (and banning junk food) in schools I would agree that the government funded schools shouldn’t provide junk food, but defining […]

Tennessee had an illegal drug tax. The TN supreme court actually ruled that it was unconstitutional, thereby making it live up to its name. But that doesn’t stop our legislators from doing the same stupid thing again. Only this time, they mean it, I guess. This time, however, the bill taxes those who peddle, distribute […]

Tennessee had an illegal drug tax. And it kept getting struck down. Now, there is a class action lawsuit to recover payment of the illegal drug tax.

Jamie Satterfield notes that the state Supreme Court is looking into TN’s waiver of due process of law err illegal drug tax: In a separate case, Brad Buchanan tried today on behalf of the state Department of Revenue to convince the state high court to overturn a lower appellate court ruling striking down as unconstitutional […]

Ya know, Tennessee’s unconstitutional drug tax stamp is not as cool looking as Texas’ unconstitutional drug tax stamp. Update: B-Ho notes: The Bredesen admininstration appears intent on continuing to collect the tax, despite two court rulings that it is unconstitutional, as a Department of Revenue spokesman says the department will continue to collect the tax […]

Tennessee’s illegal drug tax was overturned once already. Now, it’s been suspended once more: Two Knoxville lawyers who convinced a chancellor to strike down the state’s so-called “crack tax” as unconstitutional now have won a rare restraining order against the agency that collects it. Attorneys James A.H. Bell and Richard Holcomb, representing a Livingston pharmacist […]

Stuff to do, like the zoo. Some quick things. Maintain a handgun. Drug tax collectors make the rounds. The correct headline should be House Approves Funding Already Existing Gun Controls. Jeff Knox on the NICS. Send this to your mayor, if s/he is a member of an anti-gun group. CZ porn. Memories.

Via Ravenwood, Time magazine is looking at Tennessee’s Illegal Drug tax: since the tax was enacted in 2004 it has netted Tennessee $3.5 million in extra revenue, 75% of which goes directly to the enforcement agencies that carry out the drug busts. Still, some opponents argue that adding such steep penalties on top of criminal […]

Every year, some local news organization runs some article on how much Tennessee collected with its illegal drug tax. Every year, I say bullshit. This year, it’s $1.8M and it’s still bullshit. Update: MKS has more. And here’s the presser: During the second year of Tennessee’s unauthorized substances tax, the Tennessee Department of Revenue collected […]