Tobacco taxes not going to health care as promised
By: Millicent Maiden
Updated: December 3, 2010
A new report by the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families says higher tobacco taxes aren't being allocated to health care, as was the plan.
The 56-cents-per-pack cigarette tax added over 80-million dollars to the state revenue stream in its first year, but less than half of it was spent on health care, according to the report.
Governor Mike Beebe says the economy necessitated using the money for shortfalls in education and prison budgets.
But he says nearly 90-percent of the tobacco tax this year is dedicated to health care.
