Kansas Bill Would Triple Cigarette Tax

Lawmakers propose raising the cigarette tax from $.79 to $2.29 per pack while increasing the tax on OTP from 10% to 78%.

February 18, 2014

TOPEKA – Kansas state lawmakers introduced a bill in the House Health and Human Services Committee last week that would triple the tax on cigarettes, KHI News Service reports.

House Bill 2672 would raise the state excise tax from $.79 to $2.29 per pack and increase the tax on other tobacco products from 10% to 78%.

Rep. Don Hill, who introduced the bill, said there were several compelling reasons for raising tobacco taxes.

"Increasing the cost of a commodity logically leads to reduced use and the consequent health benefits," Hill said. "There's also the reality that Kansas is well below the national average in terms of our tax rate on tobacco products. And then couple that with the fact that we're broke."

Kansas’ cigarette tax is one of the nation’s lowest. Raising the tax boy $1.50 would generate more than $100 million in state revenue while reducing smoking rates, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Kansas last raised its cigarette tax in 2002 and has not raised the tax on other tobacco products since the 1970s.

Last year, a Senate committee held a hearing on a different tobacco tax increase proposal, but it never voted on the bill.

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