Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that raises the cigarette tax to $0.57 per pack.

Highlights:

-Assigns $5 million of the cigarette tax revenue to the Smoking Prevention and Cessation Trust Fund, $1 million the Department of Agriculture, and divides the remaining amount equally between the Medicaid Trust Fund and the Healthcare Trust Fund (Sec. 1). -Uses funding from the cigarette tax to establish a program granting up to $2,000 for health care insurance premium assistance to individuals who have incomes below 200% of the poverty rate and who are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by Governor Mark Sanford, Jr.

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that raises the cigarette tax and defines where the collected tax monies should be allocated.

Highlights:

-Raises the tax on each cigarette by two and one-half cents (Sec. 1). -Assigns revenues from the cigarette tax increase to the Smoking Prevention and Cessation Trust Fund, the Medicaid Trust Fund and the Healthcare Trust Fund (Sec. 1). -Establishes a program of assistance payments to qualifying applicants for qualifying health insurance premiums (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that increases the cigarette tax and decreases the grocery tax.

Highlights:

- Increases the cigarette tax from $0.07 per pack of 20 to $0.37 per pack, the revenue of which will be credited to the Groceries’ Sales Tax Relief Fund (sec. 1). - Creates the Groceries’ Sales Tax Relief Fund for the purpose of reducing the state sales tax on unprepared food from 3 percent to 1.4 percent (sec. 1-2). - Appropriates $1 million annually from the cigarette surtax for the Department of Agriculture for the promotion of healthy lifestyles with state-grown food (sec. 4).

Full Bill Text