THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 10, 1997 TAG: 9701100556
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Robert Little, David M. Poole and Jane Evans, Staff writers,
contributed to this report.
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 104 lines
A Montgomery County state senator wants to raise cigarette taxes 10 cents a pack and start taxing cigars and smokeless tobacco to raise $60 million a year for the state budget.
But smokers needn't start squirreling away dimes in anticipation of Sen. Madison Marye's proposed hike. Even he doesn't think it will ever come to be.
The 24-year Senate veteran, a former Chesterfield smoker, kicked cigarettes 30 years ago.
But another habit has since developed, he said: ``Unfortunately, I seem to have this habit of putting in bills that don't stand much chance of passage.''
That's not to say that Marye isn't serious about his proposed increase.
A bill he submitted to the General Assembly this week would raise Virginia's cigarette tax 2.5 cents a year until 2001. Each increase would mean another $15 million in state revenue.
``I'm not trying to disrupt the sale of cigarettes or hurt the tobacco industry. I'm a farmer. That's the last thing I'd try to do,'' said Marye.
``But I don't think this would disrupt tobacco sales, and we need the money. I think it's the right place to look for a little extra revenue.'
At 2.5 cents a pack, Virginia's cigarette tax is the lowest in the country, according to figures provided by the Senate Finance Committee. Washington state has the highest: 81.5 cents. The median around the country is about 31 cents per pack.
And cigars and chewing tobacco aren't taxed at all.
``I was astounded to discover that,'' Marye said.
Among Virginia's neighboring states, Kentucky has the lowest cigarette tax, at 3 cents. North Carolina charges 5 cents; Maryland, 36 cents; West Virginia, 17 cents; Tennessee, 13 cents; and Washington, D.C., 65 cents. - Robert Little
QUOTES OF THE DAY
Sen. Warren E. Barry, R-Fairfax, speaking on the Senate floor Thursday about co-education at Virginia Military Institute:
``Why is it that we continue to insist that we make warriors out of females in this country? (To men) we say that you've got to be an aggressive warrior, but we say this aggressive warrior has to exist in a social slumber party.''
Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, in response:
``It was a decision based on reason and the law. It was in the finest tradition of Virginia, the finest tradition of VMI and the finest tradition of the law.''
NOTICED & NOTED
Republican legislators suffered an embarrassing moment Thursday in their effort to establish themselves as the education party in this fall's elections.
About 25 GOP lawmakers appeared at a news conference to promote their back-to-basics education agenda. They even had a fancy acronym for the plan - ASAP. The letters were posted on a big board and, with a bit of fanfare, GOP lawmakers peeled back a cover to reveal what each letter stood for: Academic Improvement; School Safety; Accountability; and no Politics in forming educational policy.
The only problem was that ``Accountability'' was misspelled. At the end of the news conference, Sen. Jane Woods, R-Fairfax, scurried to the poster with a pencil and supplied a missing ``i.''
``Whaddaya expect from a bunch of Dan Quayles?'' Senate Democratic Leader Richard L. Saslaw of Fairfax quipped later.
- Warren Fiske
WHAT'S NEXT
Today is expected to be a light day for legislators, many of whom scoot out of town by afternoon to return to home districts. . . . The Senate convenes at 10 a.m., the House of Delegates at 11 a.m. . . . Next week, committees step up the pace. As one chairman noted, the committees only have three weeks before they must push proposed laws forward to the floors. . . . Monday (1 p.m., House Room D), the Senate Finance and the House Appropriations committees hold a public hearing on the budget.
GETTING INVOLVED
The United Way of Tidewater will present its legislative agenda to Hampton Roads members Tuesday. If you have questions or would like to offer your support of this agenda, contact Michael Hughes of the United Way at 629-0500.
After a briefing in the auditorium of the Virginia War Memorial, local units of the American Legion will visit the General Assembly on Wednesday. To learn more, check with your local American Legion unit or the state chairman, Cornelius T. O'Neill, at 804-353-6606.
A legislative rally on behalf of Virginia Citizens with Mental Disabilities will be held on Jan. 20, 1997, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the General Assembly Building. All consumers, families, advocates and professionals are encouraged to join this rally sponsored by the Coalition for Mentally Disabled Citizens of Virginia, 804-649-8481. ILLUSTRATION: The dancing Democratic delegates
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Four members of the House of the Delegates - all Democrats from
Hampton Roads - broke into a dance Thursday when the Strolling
Silver Strings, a group of gifted students from Norfolk city
schools, played ``Can-Can.'' The dancing delegates are, left to
right, George H. Heilig Jr., Jerrauld C. Jones, William P. Robinson
Jr. and House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr.
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY