If the Senate agrees, the 2% wage tax earmarked for the LBJ Hospital will be repealed. The repeal is included in a bill that the House approved in final reading this morning.
The bill also increases the tax on cigarettes by 3 cents taking it up to 36 cents for a single cigarette. The original bill proposed the extra 3 cents go to the hospital. However, the House amended the bill to require that the revenues go directly to the General Fund.
The House approved the bill by a unanimous 16-0 vote today. The bill is now referred back to the Senate for a decision. If senators agree with the amendments, the bill will be enrolled and sent to the Governor to either approve or veto.
