2. Excise tax on wine; hard cider. An excise tax is imposed on the privilege of manufacturing and selling wine in the State. The Maine manufacturer or importing wholesale licensee shall pay an excise tax of 30¢ 37.5¢ per gallon on all wine other than sparkling wine manufactured in or imported into the State, $1 $1.25 per gallon on all sparkling wine manufactured in or imported into the State and 25¢ 31.25¢ per gallon on all hard cider manufactured in or imported into the State.

Sec. 6. 28-A MRSA §1652, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1997, c. 373, §137, is further amended to read:

3. General Fund. The bureau shall immediately deposit all money received under this section to be credited to the General Fund; the Treasurer of State shall credit 10% of the money received pursuant to this subsection to the Fund for a Healthy Maine established in Title 22, section 1511.

Sec. 7. Effective date. This Act takes effect October 1, 2003.

SUMMARY

This bill increases the tax imposed on spirits, malt liquor, low-alcohol spirits, fortified wine and hard cider by 25%. Ten percent of the tax on those products is dedicated to the Fund for a Healthy Maine.