Lawmakers Approve $1 Tax on Cigarettes

The House approved a $1-a-pack tax on cigarettes--the nation’s highest--as part of an effort to price children out of the tobacco market. The bill, which passed 22-18, would nearly quadruple the state’s 29-cent tax on cigarettes and triple the tax on cigars and other tobacco products. The increase would push the cost of a pack of cigarettes to about $3. The bill, which has already been approved by the Senate, is still subject to a second House vote. The Senate must also approve changes made by the House before the bill goes to Gov. Tony Knowles, who also supports the higher tax.