Gov. Mike Easley's proposed "sin taxes" could be a tough sell.
In the $21.5 billion budget, Easley proposed increasing taxes on alcohol — four cents on a can of beer, three cents on a bottle of wine and four percent on liquor — to pay for changes in mental health care.
He also proposed boosting the cigarette tax by 20-cents a pack to raise teachers' salaries an average of 7 percent, helping bring the state's teacher pay to the national average of roughly $50,000.
But fellow Democrats in the legislature were dubious. House Speaker Joe Hackney said he was skeptical that any tax hikes would pass.
"We didn't anticipate any new taxes this year," Hackney said. "This is a year for tightening our belts. This is a year for looking for efficiencies. This is what our constituents are doing."
Senate leader Marc Basnight said the tax hikes come at a bad time. (N&O)
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