Full house for cig tax hearing…

There’s a near-full house for the Rev & Tax hearing this morning on the proposed cigarette tax increase bill; eight opponents of the measure are seated in the front row, wearing red buttons saying, “Real Conservatives Don’t Raise Taxes.” The bill proposes a $1.25 per pack increase in Idaho’s cigarette tax to fund smoking-related health care and discourage teen smoking; Idaho’s cigarette tax is among the 10 lowest in the nation. It’s just a print hearing; no public testimony will be taken. The bill is backed by a coalition of 25 groups, from the American Cancer Society to the Idaho Association of Counties.