Originally published in The State.
By: Gina Smith
The state’s schools chief Jim Rex, who is also a candidate for governor, is spearheading a push to increase the state’s cigarette tax to the national average to avert teacher furloughs.
Monday, Rex said he’s working to put together a statewide coalition of educators and health care advocates to increase the tax by $1.27 a pack instead of the 57 cents a pack increase proposed during the last legislative session. The first 57 cents, estimated to raise $147 million annually, would go toward health care costs and smoking prevention programs as previously proposed. The additional overage created by going to the national average would keep teachers in the classroom next school year. House budget writers, facing a budget deficit, are considering furloughing teachers and educational support staff for five days.
“This (proposal) is not inspired by my candidacy for governor,” said Rex Monday morning. “If anything, it’s probably risky politically. But as we’ve looked at these cuts to education, as we’ve looked at the consequences, this just seems the time to do it.”
Once the budget crisis subsides, Rex said revenue from the tax increase should go solely toward the state’s healthcare needs.
“I would not like to see education funding long term dependent on this revenue source,” Rex said. “But short term, because of the budget crisis we find ourselves in, we need to split it between the immediate needs of health care and the immediate needs of education.”
Rex, looking to garner support for his plan, will meet today with health care groups who support increasing the tax. South Carolina has the nation’s lowest cigarette tax at 7 cents a pack. Lawmakers passed a bill last year to raise the tax to 57 cents, but Gov. Mark Sanford vetoed the measure. Sanford said recently he would again veto an increase in the cigarette tax that is not accompanied by tax cuts elsewhere that equal $147 million.
Tags: cigarette tax