Beshear Stands By 70 Cent Cigarette Tax Hike Proposal

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Steve Beshear says he's standing by his proposal to boost the state's tax on Cigarettes to $1 per pack, despite opposition from Democratic House legislators. Beshear says there would be More support among rank-and-file House members if the Democratic leadership pushed the idea. Still, Beshear says he's willing to keep talking with lawmakers crafting a version of Kentucky's next two-year spending plan. Kentucky's facing a $900 million revenue shortfall. Beshear wants to close the gap by raising the cigarette tax by 70 cents per pack. A plan by House Democrats seeks to raise the tax by a quarter and raise taxes on certain services.