SPRINGFIELD — A report said the state would gain $377 million in revenue by raising the cigarette tax $1 per pack. The Illinois Senate passed a $1 per pack cigarette tax increase in April 2009, but since then the House has not taken up the legislation. In light of the report by economist Frank Chaloupka at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Senate President John Cullerton said in a statement that “a cigarette tax is one of the m ... Jump to full article >>

Now that the worst kept secret in politics seems to be semi-officially out — another special election about the state budget — keep your eye on one of the wild cards: the campaign won’t just be about the budget. That’s because California’s election laws say that once an initiative has qualified for the ballot, it will be considered in the next statewide election — regardless of whether it’s a scheduled e ... Jump to full article >>

California tax officials have a new weapon in the war against cigarette bootleggers. On Tuesday, the California Board of Equalization unveiled its latest high-tech tax stamp. The device, which will appear on legally authorized cigarette packs beginning Jan. 1, uses special inks that shift colors from yellow-gold to green. Each stamp also includes a unique serial number and more encrypted information than the last version of the tax stamp, releas ... Jump to full article >>

Leading private airline Jet Airways Monday said it had initiated an investigation into the role of four of its cabin crew members who were allegedly caught smuggling cigarettes into Britain. The incident occurred Sunday, when four crew members belonging to a Delhi-London flight were allegedly caught. ‘As regards the said incident, a full-fledged investigation has ensued, based on specific inputs from concerned departments and agencies,R ... Jump to full article >>

NEW YORK – Indian nations within the boundaries of New York have won a round in the ongoing cigarette tax fight with the state: The nations can continue to sell tax-free cigarettes to non-Indians in sovereign Indian country while the court decides whether the state’s new tax laws are legal. On Dec. 9, a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the state’s request to lift injunctions that stop the state from collect ... Jump to full article >>

House Revenue and Taxation Committee Chairman Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, is taking heat over his plans to allow a proposal to increase Idaho’s cigarette tax by as much as $1.50. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based flat-tax advocacy group, said that the Idaho state government, which could face a budget gap between $200 million and $400 million in fiscal year 2012, needs to live within its means and fo ... Jump to full article >>

Former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez-Tan wants legislators to increase cigarette tax and make smoking less affordable to children and teenagers. The cigarette tax rate in the Philippines is only P0.12 per stick for the cheapest brand, making it very cheap for the youth to “experiment” with cigarette-smoking, Galvez-Tan told reporters. “If you really want people to stop smoking, the tobacco tax system needs to be improved immediately, t ... Jump to full article >>

Tom Brokaw, former NBC News anchor and advocate of tolerance and cross-cultural appreciation, lowers the boom on President Obama and Speaker-to-be John Boehner: In Washington and across the country there’s understandably a great deal of speculation on whether President Obama and the incoming speaker of the House, John Boehner, can work together and on what issues. Here’s a suggestion on where to start. Stop. Stop smoking. Yeah, that’ ... Jump to full article >>

A technician on BP’s doomed Deepwater Horizon missed indications that the rig was about to suffer a disaster because he was taking a cigarette break. A panel investigating the explosion that killed 11 men and led to the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill heard on Tuesday that Joseph E Keith, a senior unit manager for Halliburton’s Sperry subsidiary, left his post for 10 minutes on the night of the April 20 accident. While he was away from his ... Jump to full article >>

A director of a cigarette importing company has filed a suit for RM15 million against four customs officers and the government for sealing 23,347 cartons of clove cigarettes which belonged to him at Port Klang and Padang Besar, Perlis. Roslan Abu Bakar, 46, filed the suit through the legal firm of Messrs J.R. Ravendran & Assoc. at the Shah Alam High Court last Nov 26. Copies of the statement of claim were distributed to the media Monday. Ro ... Jump to full article >>