Prefiled Senate Bill Includes Cigarette Tax Hike, But That's Not Top Priority

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Intro:	Less than a month after Missourians rejected a cigarette tax increase, one St. Louis County Senator proposes a bill including one.
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Wrap: In November Missourians voted against a seventy-three cent increase on cigarette taxes.

Less than a month later Republican Senator John Lamping of Ladue proposed a bill including a cigarette tax increase.

But Lamping says he's not tied to the idea of the cigarette tax.

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Description: "The bill is about raising revenue, cutting taxes to a greater degree, and dedicating revenue to infrastructure, I just chose to put the cigarette tax bill INSIDE this bill, and if it comes out of the bill it comes out of the bill, it's not a priority."

Last legislative session Lamping proposed a similar bill asking for cigarette tax hikes and income tax cuts.

The bill was unsuccessful.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Taylor Beck.

Intro:	Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association are opposing a St. Louis County senator's bill including a cigarette tax increase.
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Wrap: Republican Senator John Lamping is sponsoring prefiled Senate bill thirty-one...a bill revisiting the cigarette tax hike.

Voters shot down a seventy-three cent cigarette tax increase in November, but this bill proposes a twenty six cent increase.

Executive director of the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association Ron Leone says there are positive qualities about the bill, but says the increase is still too large.

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Description: "I think at this point in time, while we want to be cautiously optimistic, but at this point in time we're going to have to oppose due to the sheer size of it."

Lamping says the cigarette tax increase isn't his top priority and he wouldn't be surprised if the proposal was taken out of the bill completely during the 2013 session.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Taylor Beck.

Intro:	A St. Louis County Senator is proposing another bill to increase the cigarette tax less than a month after Missourians voted not to.
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Wrap: In November Missourians voted against raising the cigarette tax.

Less than a month later Republican Senator John Lamping of Ladue proposed a bill including a cigarette tax increase.

But Lamping says this bill's priority is about creating revenue for infrastructure, not raising the cigarette tax.

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Description: "I expect that the cigarette tax increase to be changed dramatically over the course of negotiation or very likely that it will come out of the bill."

Lamping sponsored a similar bill last legislative session, but it was unsuccessful.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Taylor Beck.