The history of the cigarette tax, redux

Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on March 17, 2009 - 12:10pm.
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The state cigarette tax has gone up only three times in the past 18 years.

According to research by the N.C. Department of Revenue, the state's cigarette excise tax increased from 2 cents a pack to 5 cents a pack on Aug. 1, 1991.

It increased to 30 cents a pack effective Sept. 1, 2005.

And it increased again to 35 cents a pack effective July 1, 2006.

Those last two increases occurred under Gov. Mike Easley. Easley proposed raising the cigarette tax another time to 55 cents a pack in his 2008-09 budget, but the legislature balked.

Gov. Beverly Perdue has proposed raising the tax $1 per pack.

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