Illinois lawmakers are considering a 75 cent cigarette tax increase to help balance the state’s budget. The proposal follows the recently passed smoking ban set to go into effect early next year. Eric Lindblom is with Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. He says the tax increase is necessary.
LINDBLOM: Simply, if the state didn’t pass the cigarette tax increase, pack sales would go down and it would lose revenue. But because of the cigarette tax increase the state will get so much more money per pack sold, that will be outweighed.
Lawmakers say the tax increase would bring in over $300 million more in revenue. If the proposal passes, Chicagoans would pay over $4 in tax per pack.