After working its way through the legislative process, a bill that would have raised cigarette taxes in South Caroling was blocked by the Senate Minority Leader. The bill would have generated money to assist in covering health care costs.
After clearing the House by a 97 to 22 vote, the bill was tabled. It would have increased the cigarette tax to 50 cents, up from the current national low of 7 cents per pack. The national average is $1.23 per pack on cigarettes. It was estimated that the bill would increase annual revenue by $145 million.
The majority of the money from the tax would be applied toward a maximum of $3,000 for individual health care plans for low income uninsured residents. Employers who contributed would also receive a credit of 67% for their contributions.
The bill was a waste of time, proclaimed John Land, the Senate Minority Leader. He thinks the tax revenue should be put in the Medicaid state plan to have a more efficient impact.
Land claimed that he would not vote for the bill in its current state under any circumstances, stating that he felt it was one of the silliest things he’d seen ever proposed in South Carolina.
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