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Sin Taxes 
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- Stateline Story
Infographic: Annual State Lottery Sales
New York led all states in lottery sales in fiscal year 2011. Massachusetts residents spent more per capita than residents of any other state. more
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- Stateline Story
Tasting for Dollars: States Find New Ways to Tap Alcohol for Revenue
Most Republicans don't want to raise taxes on beer, wine and liquor. But they're seeking to generate extra revenue with measures aimed at boosting sales.more -
- Stateline Story
Maryland Hikes Sales Tax on Alcohol
TODAY'S TAKE: Starting July 1, Maryland residents will pay 9 percent in sales tax on alcohol, an increase of 3 percentage points. The change will help fund schools and services for the disabled. more
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- Stateline Story
Connecticut Governor, Lawmakers Agree to Package of Tax Hikes
TODAY'S TAKE: After weeks of negotiations, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy and legislative leaders reached accord Wednesday (April 20) on a budget that will hike taxes on income, corporations, inheritance, alcohol, cigarettes and gasoline. more
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Two Governors See Need for Major Tax Increases
TODAY'S TAKE: Democratic Governors Dannel Malloy in Connecticut and Mark Dayton in Minnesota are detailing plans to sharply hike taxes as a way out of multi-billion dollar budget shortfalls. more
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- Stateline Story
Decline in Smoking Means Decline in State Revenue
It's a fortunate thing that anti-smoking campaigns have succeeded in getting many people to quit smoking. But it's also a problem for states reliant on money contributed by smokers and cigarette manufacturers.more -
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New York Hikes Cigarette Taxes
TODAY'S TAKE: New York has become the latest state to raise cigarette taxes in the face of a budget deficit that exceeds $9 billion. Once the increase takes effect in July, New Yorkers will pay the country's highest tobacco taxes.more -
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Smokers Beware
TODAY'S TAKE: Sixteen states raised their cigarette taxes last year to generate more revenue, and the trend shows few signs of slowing down in 2010. Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina and Utah are among the states that could force smokers to pay more as they try to balance their budgets.more -
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Recession Ushers in More Tobacco Taxes
In a double-whammy for smokers, the federal government and seven states raised taxes on cigarettes this year. But the new taxes plus President Obama's vow to sign a bill imposing sweeping regulation of the tobacco industry threaten to shrink cigarette sales - and revenues for state coffers.more -
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WORTH NOTING: A New Sin Tax, Iraq Snafus rankle Govs
This week's noteworthy developments in state capitols include an X-rated tax plan, a study of cell phone's role in traffic accidents, more miscues in Iraq and perils for unfaithful spouses in Michigan.more -
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Wine Ruling Uncorks State Response
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling may make it easier for residents of New York state to buy a California pinot noir online. But Michiganders may have a harder time ordering a chardonnay from within their own state. In the wake of the ruling, states must choose to allow both intra and interstate wine sales on the Internet or restrict both entirely.more -
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New State Laws Debut on July 1
A statewide smoking ban in Georgia, a set of tough laws against sex offenses in Iowa and legal procedures for disposing of unclaimed cremated remains in Connecticut; hundreds of new state laws like these take effect every July 1 to coincide with the start of the fiscal year. The new laws reflect the issues that matter most to legislators. This year's priorities included more restrictions on abortion, incentives for environmentally friendly energy and rules to make driving safer.more -
- Stateline Story
States Hunt Down Online Cigarette Buyers
Bargain seekers buying cheap cigarettes on the Internet are getting a nasty surprise in a number of a states: bills for sometimes thousands of dollars in unpaid sales and cigarette taxes. States scrounging for tax revenues are prying loose the identities of smokers who bought online and dodged state taxes.more -
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Smoking Bans Spread to Tobacco Road
States with the toughest smoking bans huddle in the Northeast the way smokers huddle outside entrances of office buildings. But this year smoking bans are being considered in the unlikeliest of places -- on Tobacco Road.more -
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Less Tobacco Suit Money Goes to Stop Smoking
States are spending fewer and fewer of the dollars they get from a 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry on smoking prevention, a new report shows. Altogether, states allocated $538 million toward prevention programs in fiscal 2005, a decrease from $542.6 million the year before, according to the annual ranking of state spending by four anti-smoking groups. State spending to curb tobacco use peaked at $749.7 million in 2002, falling to $674.4 million in 2003. more
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- Stateline Story
Hot-Button Social Issues Cram State Ballots
Voters this November will tackle controversial issues that many statehouses couldnt resolve, including whether to ban gay marriage, boost the state minimum wage or have a lottery. Californians will have the longest list of ballot questions with 16. more
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- Stateline Story
A New Crop of Tobacco Money Coming to States
Tobacco may be bad for smokers health, but it continues to be good for state coffers. The giant tobacco settlement fund that states have been dipping into to balance their budgets just got an extra source of revenue. A major U.S. seller of generic cigarettes has agreed to pay states an estimated $1.7 billion over the next decade to avoid getting sued for health-care costs related to smoking. more
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Online Cigarette Sales Hurting State Revenues
Nineteen states have hiked tobacco taxes this year, causing scores of smokers to buy tax-free cigarettes over the Internet. States are trying to collect taxes on these sales, but a federal law that could help them isnt being effectively enforced, officials say. more
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- Stateline Story
Smokers' Habit Feeds State Treasuries
Need more money? Try soaking smokers. Thats the message wafting through state capitols these days as budget-challenged state lawmakers look for additional revenue. more
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- Stateline Story
States Eyeing Sin Taxes
Sin is in. Or at least the taxation of it is, if recent actions by state legislators and governors are any indication. more