DANVILLE — Every package of cigarettes sold in Illinois adds money to the state’s school fund. Illinois tags a 98-cent tax on every package of cigarettes sold in the state, collecting an estimated $560 million during fiscal year 2010. The tax stands almost as a twin to Indiana’s cigarette tax — which is 99.5 cents per pack. Illinois’ tax rate ranks 32nd nationally, with Indiana’s rate coming in at number 33. Some members of the Illin ... Jump to full article >>

Bootleggers beware. A warning in Illinois promises anyone smuggling cigarettes will be punished. The problem is coming right over the border from Missouri, and Illinois officials worry it’s going to get worse. Drivers coming into Illinois are being greeted with a warning. It’s a sign is on the Illinois side of the McKinley bridge in Vencie. It warns that cigarette smugglers will be punished with jail time, fines and vehicle seizures ... Jump to full article >>

It’s been two years since the Smoke Free Illinois Act went into effect, but only in the last few months has anyone in the metro-east been cited for breaking the law. John McGuire, assistant state’s attorney in Madison County, said the original law had what lawyers thought were technical defects. “When the legislature passed amendments (last summer) to fix those defects we were ready to implement it,” he said. The Madison ... Jump to full article >>