A New York appeals court on Tuesday lifted a temporary order blocking the state from collecting taxes on cigarettes sold by Native American stores to non-Indian customers. On Sept. 1, a state appellate judge in Rochester restored a restraining order that barred the state from collecting the $4.35-per-pack tax. But the court’s five-judge panel, which took up the case last week, ruled that the state properly approved regulations for the levy ... Jump to full article >>

NEW YORK – While the New York State Police are worried about a confrontation if the state tries to block the sale of tax-free cigarettes on New York’s Indian reservations, local Seneca Nation of Indian officials say the ongoing discussion could be an opening to establish a lasting peace. The state held a hearing Tuesday called by state Sen. Craig Johnson, D-Nassau, to discuss tax collections on sales made to non-Indians on reservatio ... Jump to full article >>

The state Senate Standing Committee on Investigations and Government Operations on Tuesday is holding a hearing in New York City on the state’s failure to collect taxes on sales of cigarettes sold by Indian-owned retailers to non-Indian customers. Despite clear laws on the books for year, Indian-owned retail outlets, such as the convenience stores in Union Springs and Seneca Falls owned by the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York, have refused ... Jump to full article >>

ALBANY, N.Y. — A deepening deficit has New York officials looking again at how to collect unpaid taxes on cigarettes sold by Indian tribes to non-Indians. The issue is also making unlikely allies of cigarette makers and anti-smoking interests who say taxation would limit illegal sales and keep cigarettes out of the hands of minors. A budget hearing Tuesday in Manhattan will weigh the potential revenue against concerns that any attempt to colle ... Jump to full article >>

Gov. David A. Paterson has asked the U.S. Justice Department for a “threat assessment” about possible violence if he were to try to collect taxes on cigarette sales by Indian tribes, including the Seneca Nation. In a letter to top federal prosecutors, the governor also suggests he might need help from Washington in dealing with any unrest by Indian tribes. The unusual request, dated Sept. 23 and sent to the U.S. attorneys in the stat ... Jump to full article >>

Statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Washington, D.C. – In a major victory for public health and New York taxpayers, a federal judge in Brooklyn, N.Y. has ruled that cigarette selling businesses based on Indian tribal lands are not exempt from federal, state or New York City tax laws. Judge Carol Bagley Amon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has issued a preliminary injuncti ... Jump to full article >>

For Native American tribes, cigarette sales are a huge source of revenue. So a decision issued on Friday by a state appellate court in New York declaring that the Cayuga Indian Nation can sell cigarettes tax free to non members is welcome news for all tribes in the state. For Native American tribes, cigarette sales are a huge source of revenue. So a decision issued on Friday by a state appellate court in New York declaring that the Cayuga Indian ... Jump to full article >>

Cigarette sales resumed Friday at the Cayuga Indian Nation’s LakeSide Trading convenience stores in Union Springs and Seneca Falls after state appellate judges in Rochester ruled in favor of the Indian nation in its tax dispute with Cayuga and Seneca counties. “The word is out,” said B.J. Radford, retail operations manager for the Cayuga nation. In a 4-1 decision released about 3 p.m., judges in the Fourth Judicial Department ... Jump to full article >>