PHOENIX - Calling the proposed solution inadequate, Gov. JanetNapolitano on Friday vetoed legislation that would have criminalizedthose who buy and sell cigarettes via the World Wide Web.
Napolitano said she supports the goal of controlling Internetsale of tobacco products. The ability to order cigarettes incyberspace opens the door to sales to minors.
And sales by computer or telephone also allow retailers to escapepaying the state's sales tax.
But the governor said a better solution than this is needed.
SB 1305 would have required retailers to verify the age of apurchaser. It also would have mandated that companies shippingtobacco products into the state collect the state levy and forwardthe cash to the state Department of Revenue.
Napolitano noted that not all the penalties were equal.
"I object to the bill's provision making it a felony for a minorto purchase cigarettes through a delivery service, while keeping thesales and delivery of cigarettes as a petty offense," the governorwrote in her 12th veto message since taking office.
She also complained that the legislation would have allowedretailers to rely on a "commercially available data base" todetermine if the would-be purchaser is of legal age - 18 in Arizona.
The governor said that sellers should have to rely on government-issued ID's.
Finally, Napolitano said, both the Department of Revenue and thestate Attorney General's Office "have expressed concerns regardingthe enforcement of the revenue provisions of this bill."
The governor said she is willing to work with lawmakers andtobacco sellers to come up with a more comprehensive regulatorymethod than in this bill.
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