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Oklahoma Health Commissioner Terry Cline said Tuesday he wants to raise the state’s cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack to pay for teachers and expand the Insure Oklahoma program for low-income workers.

The proposed increase is being carried by state Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove, as House Joint Resolution 1058, a legislative referendum that would take a vote of the people to enact.

Cline said the tax increase would generate $182 million a year while driving down cigarette consumption by about 10 percent.

As written, the measure would direct 66 percent of the proceeds — about $120 million — to teacher salaries, 32 percent to Insure Oklahoma and 2 percent to pediatric cancer research and treatment through the University Hospitals.

Cline said the increase would effectively apply to tribal smoke shops as well as non-tribal vendors under current tobacco compacts.

The state cigarette tax is now $1.03 per pack.

Cline noted Oklahoma continues to rank among the worst states for overall health despite some improvements.

“I’d like to get us out of the bottom 10,” he said. “One of the things we can do is attack tobacco.”