COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Legislators in South Carolina have rejected a proposal to raise the nation's lowest cigarette tax to help cover Medicaid health care costs.
By a 17-7 vote, the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday killed a proposal that would have raised the tax to 50 cents a pack. That would have raised closed to $130 million for health care programs.
The committee then moved on to discuss a fee of 6.4 cents per cigarette as a user fee.
That would raise $238 million to be used to expand state Medicaid programs and head off spending cuts in public schools.
The House passed a bill last year that raises the state's cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack. That bill is awaiting debate on the Senate floor.
