A state lawmaker is blasting new plans to increase Wisconsin's cigarette tax. A proposed one dollar increase in Wisconsin's cigarette tax is a "money grab," according to state Senator Mike Ellis. The Neenah Republican says people already know smoking is bad for them, and a price hike isn't needed to further convince them of that. He says another dollar on a pack of cigarettes could generate up to $300 million, but it's just a tax increase.
Health care groups are behind a revived effort to increase the cigarette tax by a buck-a-pack. Governor Doyle has said he'd consider it, if there's a guarantee the revenue would go to prevent smoking and pay for smoking-related health costs.
WIBA's John Colbert contributed to this report.