Tagged: cigarette tax

Reporting by KCUR's Elana Gordon was used in this story.

Two petitions that would affect taxes on tobacco products in Missouri are going through the approval process for circulation.

One would give cities and counties the ability to set and control tobacco taxes. The state has preempted local tobacco taxes since 1993.

Petitions supporters say local communities should have the right to determine how tobacco tax dollars are used. But Misty Snodgrass with the American Cancer Society says the proposal is problematic.

Mo. Senator wants to increase cigarette tax and eliminate state income tax for low income people

Republican state Sen. John Lamping, of Ladue, has filed legislation that would exempt anyone earning less than $2,000 from having to pay state income tax and slightly lower the taxes for people earning more than that. His legislation would offset the projected $128 million reduction in state income tax revenues by increasing the cigarette tax to 43 cents per pack.

Missouri's current cigarette tax of 17 cents per pack is the lowest in the nation.

The 2012 Missouri legislative session is underway, and much of the first-day talk revolved around the challenges facing the state’s public schools.

In addition to Missouri’s K-12 schools not being fully funded, suburban school districts near St. Louis and Kansas City may be forced to accept thousands of transfer students from the inner cities, thanks to the State Supreme Court’s ruling in Turner v. Clayton.  House Speaker Steven Tilley (R, Perryville) says any solutions to those problems should include tuition tax credits for kids in unaccredited areas, and statewide expansion of charter schools.