New York Gov. George Pataki (R) plans to delay the collection of state taxes on cigarette taxes sold to non-Indians under the budget he released on Wednesday.

Pataki has repeatedly declined to collect the taxes, saying they infringed on tribal sovereignty. He changed his mind last year, and said he would comply with a state law to impose the tax on Indian retailers.

But Pataki said he will delay collections, a move that brought criticism from non-Indian retailers and state attorney general Mark Spitzer. "If it's the law, we should enforce it," Spitzer told The Buffalo News.

Get the Story:
Spitzer urges no delay in collecting cigarette taxes from Indian retailers (The Buffalo News 1/19)
Retailers fume over smokes (The Auburn Citizen 1/19)

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