Every dollar that goes uncollected from cigarettes and gasoline sold on Native American land means another dollar in higher taxes for Cayuga & Seneca County families

Brian Kolb is leading the fight to enforce the law, collect the tax and level the playing field.
Enforce the Law
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1994 Attea decision affirmed New York’s authority to enforce the law and collect taxes from cigarettes and gasoline sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. For the next 16 years, Governors of both political parties did not do enough to enforce the law and collect these taxes. As a result, New York lost billions.

Collect the Tax
New York’s budget deficit has ballooned to $9.2 billion. Instead of Albany hiking taxes on Cayuga and Seneca County families to close that shortfall, Brian Kolb believes the state should enforce the law and collect the taxes on cigarettes and gasoline sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. Doing so could generate $600 million in revenue to help close the deficit. The “Enforce the Law-Collect the Tax Coalition” estimates that every minute the taxes go uncollected, New York loses $1,900.

Level the Playing Field
Too many mom-and-pop convenience stores and neighborhood gas stations have closed because they were competing on an unfair playing field against retailers on Native American lands, where taxes went uncollected because the law was not enforced. Over 22,000 retailers follow the law and collect the taxes – and their business has suffered because they play by the rules. Brian Kolb wants to level that unfair playing field.


What Brian Kolb is Doing
  • Sponsoring bi-partisan legislation (Assembly Bill A.10128-A) that would close the loophole by directing cigarette wholesalers to only sell tax- stamped cigarettes, unless presented with an Indian tax exemption coupon
  • Keeping pressure on Gov. Paterson to fulfill his promise to have state regulations in place by July so the state can collect these taxes
  • Partnering with the “Collect the Tax-Enforce the Law Coalition” to build statewide grassroots support for this cause
  • Opposing any effort by downstate politicians in Albany to hike taxes on Cayuga and Seneca County families to close the budget deficit
The Next Steps
  • Send a letter to the editor to your local newspaper and call local talk radio
  • Search for the “Enforce the Law – Collect the Tax,” website and sign up now!
  • Spread the word to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and anyone else who supports enforcing the law, collecting the tax and leveling the playing field!
  • Resolve the outstanding land Trust issues
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb is pictured speaking at a press conference sponsored by the “Enforce the Law-Collect the Tax Coalition.”
“New York is losing $600 million in revenues from cigarettes and gasoline sold on Native American lands to non-Native American Indians. With our budget deficit at $9.2 billion, Albany can’t be allowed to put this issue off any longer.”
Enforce the law, collect the tax and level the playing field.

District Office:
607 West Washington Street, Suite 2
Geneva, NY 14456
Phone: (315) 781-2030
E-mail: kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us
Albany Office:
Room 933, LOB
Albany, NY 12248
Phone: (518) 455-3751
Follow Leader Kolb on Facebook & Twitter
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