Should lawmakers count on sin taxes for budget relief?

In an effort to increase revenue, some lawmakers are proposing an increase in so-called “sin” taxes in hopes of killing two birds with one stone. They want to discourage people from engaging in certain behaviors, like smoking, drinking, even overeating, by making it more expensive to purchase products related to these behaviors. At the same time, they want to alleviate state budgetary pressures with the additional money they hope to collect from higher sin taxes . . . READ MORE