Governor Brad Henry ups ante on tobacco tax plan

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Governor Brad Henry has given the Legislature a new tobacco tax plan that would increase the cigarette tax to 55 cents a pack.<br/><br/>That's three cents higher per pack than

Wednesday, May 5th 2004, 5:16 pm

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Governor Brad Henry has given the Legislature a new tobacco tax plan that would increase the cigarette tax to 55 cents a pack.

That's three cents higher per pack than his original plan.

The new plan would raise $140 million. Henry's original plan would have raised $130-million.

Both houses of the Legislature still have to vote on the proposal. If approved, it will go to a vote of the people.

The tax revenue would pay for a cancer center at the University of Oklahoma, and it would improve the state trauma care system.

It would expand health care coverage and increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for doctors, hospitals and other health care providers.