The statehouse is alive with talk about a tobacco tax hike that could raise at least $585 million next year in additional revenue.
That's a tempting pot of money for lawmakers looking to raise more than $1 billion for roads and transit without a broader tax increase. But it's also a prospect that Gov. Nathan Deal said he's not willing to consider.
"I have not been in favor of the cigarette tax in the past," Deal said in an interview Wednesday. "And I have no real reason at this point to change my mind."
Anti-smoking groups and healthcare advocates have long tried to raise the state's cigarette tax, one of the lowest in the nation, to $1.60 a pack. They point to studies that found smoking-related illnesses are a huge drain on taxpayer-funded healthcare programs locally and nationally.
Critics, though, contend that most smokers will travel to lower-tax neighboring states to buy their tobacco. Deal echoed those concerns, adding that he worried it would not be a reliable stream of revenue for transportation projects.
"I know there are all sorts of arguments that can be made, health issues and otherwise, but I don't think that's an area we should depend on for any significant revenue. It's regressive and it sometimes hits those who can least afford to pay the extra cost."
He added: "If you talk to people who are smokers, and fortunately I am not, it is an addiction. And if you don't deal with the addiction, you don't necessarily break it by raising prices."
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