MS Lawmakers Debate Cigarette Tax Increase

Mississippi Senate The House wants to raise it by 82 cents a pack. Wednesday the Senate Finance Committee voted to raise it from 18 cents to 49 cents a pack.

by The Associated Press

Published: Wed, January 28, 2009 - 1:24 pm CST

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Senate Finance Committee
has voted to set the cigarette tax at 49 cents a pack, matching the
average of the surrounding states.
Mississippi's current tax is 18 cents a pack. The House voted
this month to increase it to $1 a pack.
The committee vote on Wednesday is just a step toward getting a
bill to the governor's desk. The full Senate could debate the bill
in the next few days, and Finance Committee chairman Dean Kirby
believes it will pass there.
Kirby, R-Pearl, says he expects the House and Senate to
negotiate a final amount.
The Senate proposes using new cigarette tax revenue to head off
an increase in car tag prices before July 1.
----
The bill is House Bill 364.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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myopinion Says:

Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 2:31 pm

Why don’t they just split the difference…tax cigs and alcohol. Alcohol kills more people than cigs. The smokers always will be hounded.

Sprinkle Says:

Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 1:45 pm

I would also like to add…
They are not raising the taxes trying to force the smokers to quit. They are raising the taxes because they KNOW that they’re not going to quit. They are going to pay whatever they have to because the smoker is addicted to chemical that are put into cigarettes. Right under the governments thumb!! Now and forever!

Sprinkle Says:

Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 1:42 pm

I have an idea….. tax porn or something. They keep raising the tax on cigs thinking it will make people quit and I think it’s called harrassment! Why the smokers? Why can’t they raise the taxes for the pervs? Or just taxes in general. Istead of 8%, make it 10%. Why target the smokers???

I know what you’re thinking…. NO, I’m NOT a smoker! I just think it’s unfair to target one group of people. It’s harrassment. It’s no different than raising the taxes on someone because of their race or religion.

I vote that if you’re going to raise taxes, raise it for everyone.