IL House Minority Leader: Smoking tax could end up part of Medicaid reform bill

Illinois seems to be on the way to enacting massive Medicaid cuts. A dollar-a-pack cigarette tax was part of the original Medicaid rescue proposal, which I've written about before, but that tax hike was split off from the main bill.

But House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) told AP last night that the depth of these cuts might mean the passage a Medicaid bill with the smoking tax. "I think you'll see a complete package pass," he said.

And if the revenue from the cigarette tax doesn't match forecasts--which is almost always the case--the shortfall will compel Illinois to seek funds elsewhere.

We'll be back where we started in a few years--trying to repair Medicaid in Illinois.

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