tax free cigarettes
The state Senate has passed an eminently sensible bill to raise the tax free cigarettes tax by 50 cents per pack. We hope Gov. Mark Sanford’s meddling won’t derail the plan. In recent years, the Legislature has debated various proposals to raise the 7-cents-per-pack tax, which is the lowest in the nation. It has not been increased in 31 years. Last year, the S.C. House approved a 30-cent increase in the tax, but tied it to cutting the sales tax on groceries. Half of that proposal already has been achieved with the elimination of the grocery sales tax in last year’s budget.
