Apr 3, 2009 8:19 am US/Central
State Senate Advances Another Cigarette Tax Hike
$1 Per Pack Hike Proposal Now Goes To State House
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Just two days ago, a new federal tax pushed the price of a pack of cigarettes in Chicago to close to $10, and now the Illinois State Senate has advanced legislation to raise the tobacco tax even more.
The state senate first rejected higher cigarette taxes Thursday, but then reversed course and approved a $1-a-pack increase less than an hour later.
The increase is meant to generate about $1 billion for state health programs, said the sponsor, Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-Evanston). Supporters say it would have the added benefit of discouraging smoking.
"This proposal will save lives, reduce suffering and improve the health and well-being of the people of Illinois," Mary Maryland, president of the American Cancer Society's Illinois division, said in a statement.
But critics argue it's wrong to focus on smokers for the money to balance the state's troubled budget. They also predict higher cigarette prices would drive more people to buy their cigarettes in border states.
The first Senate vote was 29-28 -- one short of the total needed to pass. But the sponsor soon called the measure for a second vote and Sen. Donne Trotter switched to "yes" from "no."
Trotter, whose district is across the border from Hammond, Ind., said he favored the increase but promised constituents he'd vote against it. When he realized his vote would kill the bill, he decided to do what he thought was best and support the increase.
Gov. Pat Quinn proposed the measure when presenting his state budget plan.
The measure now goes to the state House. It would increase the price of a pack of cigarettes by 50 cents a year for two years. The current state tax is 98 cents.
On Wednesday, another tax hike went into effect, raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes has now increased from 39 cents to $1.01. If the state tax hike took effect, it would push cigarette prices past $10 per pack in much of Chicago.
Even with the proposed state increase in cigarette taxes, smokers would still be paying less than in some other states.
New York State has the highest total on cigarettes, at $3.76 per pack, and cigarettes already cost more than $10 in New York City. But smokers in South Carolina pay just 7 cents state tax, and $1.08 in total taxes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
