(KIWA Staff Photo)
Statewide Iowa (RI) — Democrat Rob Sand says that if he’s elected governor, he’d consider approving an increase in Iowa’s tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Sand met Tuesday with eight members of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, which supports raising the state cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack. He says he’s not sure what amount is appropriate.
Earlier this year, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds recommended raising state taxes on tobacco products, including a 65-cent-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax, but the proposal stalled in the legislature. Sand says there is a bipartisan interest in some form of tobacco-tax hike.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Iowa, and people who smoke are up to 30 times more likely to develop lung cancer. The Iowa Smokefree Air Act took effect in mid-2008, but casinos are still exempt. Sand says he’s inclined to support making casino gaming floors smoke-free.
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has scheduled an August roundtable with Zach Lahn, the Republican running for governor.
