South Carolina House fails to override veto of cigarette tax increase that would have funded health care programs

The South Carolina House on Tuesday failed to override Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) veto of legislation that would have increased the state cigarette tax to expand health care coverage for low-income residents, the Columbia State reports (O'Connor, Columbia State, 5/28).

Lawmakers were about 20 votes short of overriding the veto (Wenger, Charleston Post and Courier, 5/28).

The bill would have increased the cigarette tax by 50 cents per pack to generate about $160 million for health care programs. The legislation would have extended Medicaid eligibility to children in a family of four with an annual income up to $54,000 and coverage for pregnant women with incomes between $7,000 and $14,000 (Columbia State, 5/28). The measure also would have provided assistance for lower-income workers to purchase health insurance.

Supporters said that under the plan, an additional 200,000 South Carolinians would have received health coverage, while opponents argued that it would have "committed the state to funding programs with a declining revenue source" because the tax increase would encourage more people to quit smoking, the Post and Courier reports.

State House Speaker Bobby Harrell (R), who voted against the bill, said next year he will sponsor legislation to increase the cigarette tax and study ways to improve health care through the private sector (Charleston Post and Courier, 5/28).