After the failure to pass a tax on high-calorie beverages in NY state, the state assembly has once again turned to the idea of taxing cigarettes for increased revenue.

According to reports, Assembly Democrats are expected to include a $1/pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax when they submit their budget resolution today.

If the increase passes, it would raise the per-pack tax in NY to $3.75, the highest tax on smokes in the country.

Unlike the soda tax, which was put forth as a way of curbing obesity, the lawmakers in Albany are making no bones about the cigarette tax — It’s all about balancing the state’s budget. Propenents say the $1 increase would generate an extra $200 million in revenue for the state.

“It’s the least bad choice among all the revenues,” one Assembly member told the NY Daily News.

$1-a-pack increase on cigarettes likely to be included in Assembly Dems’ budget plans [NY Daily News]

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