SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A proposal to increase New Mexico’s tax on cigarettes to $3.16 a pack has been approved by the state Senate.
Senate Democrats backed the $1.50-a-pack increase Wednesday over Republican objections on a 24-16 vote. The bill now moves to the House.
The initiative would raise an annual $89 million for public schools, as New Mexico lawmakers wrestle with a budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has vowed to veto any outright tax increases while considering changes to credits and deductions.
The bill from Democratic Sen. Howie Morales of Silver City would raise taxes on other tobacco products including electronic cigarettes to 75 percent from 25 percent. E-cigarettes heat a nicotine liquid into a vapor, delivering the chemical that smokers crave without harmful tar from burning.
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