OLYMPIA, Wash. - On Monday, the Washington Senate okayed a $1 per pack cigarette tax hike, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reports. The Washington House had approved its version earlier, but the Senate bill had a few minor changes that the House will need to give its approval before the measure goes to the governor.

Starting in May, the cigarette tax would increase from $2.025 to $3.025. Beginning in July, the tax on other tobacco products will jump from 75 percent of the taxable sales price to 95 percent, with the tax on cigars capped at 65 cents per smoke.

The legislature believes the increases will raise more than $100 million over the next two years, which would help the state with its $2.8 billion budget shortfall.

Meanwhile, anti-smoking groups are urging Kansas legislators to increase the state??s cigarette tax by a buck to reach $1.79 per pack, the Associated Press reports. Yesterday, newspaper ads ran in seven cities asking residents to contact lawmakers requesting the tax hike. Today, 26 radio stations will start airing similar ads, which were paid for by the American Cancer Society and three other anti-smoking groups.

The ads tout that raising the cigarette tax by $1 would generate nearly $75 million annually. The Kansas legislature reconvenes April 28 to fix the budget deficit for the next fiscal year.