JEFFERSON CITY - After blocking three attempts in the last 10 years to boost the cigarette excise tax, the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association has helped draft a measure that addresses a cigarettes-only tax increase, writes the News Tribune.

"The voters were not saying no to any and all cigarette tax increases," Ron Leone, the association??s executive director, told the state Senate??s Ways and Means Committee Thursday morning. "We believe the voters were saying no to the outrageous and unfair tax increases contained in those three initiative petitions."

Missouri??s cigarette excise tax is the lowest in the U.S. at 17 cents per pack. Voters rejected ballot initiatives to increase the tax in 2002, 2006 and last fall.

The current proposal by state Sen. John Lamping, would increase the state??s excise tax by 13 cents per pack, which matches Virginia??s excise tax of 30 cents per pack. "This is (an) attempt to raise cigarette taxes in a politically palatable way," the state senator told the Committee. "The increase in cigarette tax is offset by eliminating (some income) tax brackets."

Leone said his association opposed the previous increases because they were too high, writes the newspaper. Lamping??s proposal "maintains the competitive tax advantage" that Missouri retailers have with their eight border states, explained Leone. "The only thing I care about is the ability for your constituent small businesses to continue to compete with their market area."