Dept of Audits Says State Will Gain at Least $355 Million Beginning July 1 if Law Passes

Lawmakers can balance deep cuts to the state by passing House Bill 39, which picks Georgia's cigarette tax up off the bottom of the national ranking and brings the state squarely to the middle.

Raising the tax $1 a pack from 37 cents, even accounting for declining sales, doubles Georgia's tobacco revenue, according to the state's official fiscal note.

"Given Georgia's multi-billion deficit and slashes to vital services such as child protection, public safety, hospitals, and elder servies, this additional revenue is very important," said Sarah Beth Gehl, the Georgia Budget & Policy's tax expert and deputy director.

Bottom line: New revenues should be part of a balanced approach to resolving Georgia's revenue problem.

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