KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Health advocates want to raise Missouri's cigarette taxes by 80 cents a pack.
The American Cancer Society and a coalition of health, education and business groups on Tuesday filed a ballot initiative with the secretary of state's office.
The Kansas City Star reports that the groups will have to collect more than 90,000 petition signatures by May to get the measure on the ballot, most likely for the November 2012 general election.
Similar proposed cigarette tax increases have failed at the polls in 2002 and 2006.
Missouri has the lowest cigarette excise tax in the nation -- 17 cents per pack. The average for all states is $1.46 per pack.
The Cancer Society estimates the tax increase would raise about $308 million a year in new revenue.
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