House delays cigarette tax debate

The House delayed debate on a Senate-passed cigarette tax bill that would raise the state's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack.

The House passed a bill last year that would have raised the tax by 30 cents and would have spent the money on tax cuts.

The Senate wants to spend the money on health care -- between shoring up Medicaid and paying for tax credits to make group health coverage more affordable for businesses and employees.

Comments

[blueforce]

Folks need to give the legislators a break on the "thinking" type legislation. They develop headaches real quickly when they engage their limited brain power. I would donate some brain cells if I could, but science is not there yet.

[P Collins]

Delay Delay Delay
What is wrong with these people? We have delayed this issue far too long. They need to get on with it and show some leadership. It's time to pass that cigarette tax.

[Doc Scheffler]

We can't afford to raise the taxes. We've already spent the MSA money and have to make annual payments. When sales go down as a result of the tax increase, then we'll have to make the money up out of the general treasury.

[wtf]

Doc, never in a time after 47 other states raised the tax on cigarettes has the sales of cigarettes decreased. Even with states in close proximity to Indian Reservations where people can buy cigarettes tax-free, sales tax and volume of cigarettes never went down.

It's called an addiction, "Doc".

If your so concerned about the treasury tomorrow, what about the millions of dollars it is short today for general infrastructure improvemements/repairs today? How about the rising cost of healthcare? Many of the poor smoke and when they go to the hospital for illness and don't pay, you and I pick up the tab via our taxes. Maybe they should pay a little tax in advance of their pending cigarette related health issue.

Maybe you'd rather just have a good old-fashioned income tax increase instead.

For me, if you're dumb enough to still smoke today, then you can pay more for it and help the rest of us out.