New York plans a $1.60 increase per pack in the cigarette tax to the highest in the nation as well as a long-delayed plan to crack down on the sale of cigarettes by tribes to non-Indians.
The plan includes a big increase in the tax on chewing tobacco, cigars, pipe tobacco and other tobacco products.
New York state Budget Director Robert Megna says the revenue producers are still being negotiated with legislative leaders and tribes in New York. But he says they will be part of an emergency spending bill Monday.
The Legislature will either have to accept the whole package or reject the weekly emergency appropriation and shut down government.
The package is expected to raise $440 million for New York as it faces a $9.2 billion deficit.
{1010 WINS/Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
