Conservatives can rant and rave all they want, but renewing a 4-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes is a no-brainer. Two-thirds of the members of the House agreed Tuesday when they voted 70-30 to keep the tax on the books.
Rep. Hollis Downs, R-Ruston, told his colleagues eight of 10 Louisianians polled on the issue had no problem with a 70-cent-per-pack increase that couldn’t get out of committee. So you can figure out for yourself how they might feel about renewing an insignificant 4-cent cigarette tax.
No, a 4-cent tax probably won’t discourage anyone from smoking. But failing to renew a cigarette tax sends a horrible message about Louisiana to the rest of the country.
Rep. Harold Ritchie, D-Bogalusa, is sponsor of both cigarette tax increase bills.
He is a smoker who pleaded with health care experts during a committee hearing to give him some advice about how he can quit what he calls a terrible addiction he can’t shake.
Ritchie admitted Tuesday that he is already having to deal with personal health care issues.
The best argument Ritchie made when the House voted for the 4-cent tax was how damaging it would be to the state’s image to lower a cigarette tax when most other states are headed in the opposite direction.
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