By Tony McVeigh
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-819851.mp3
Frankfort, KY – The budget-balancing plan would increase the cigarette tax by 30-cents and tax alcoholic beverages six-percent at the retail level. It also includes a raid on the state's rainy day fund, but furloughs of state employees are out. It will need 60 votes to pass the House. Are they there? Speaker Greg Stumbo. "I think we'll get to 60. I look forward to a successful vote on Wednesday. 'Are you there yet?' I'm going to talk to Jeff Hoover before I can answer that."
Hoover is House minority leader. One vote Stumbo won't have is that of Democratic Rep. Jim Wayne of Louisville, who says the tax package doesn't go far enough. "We could do better than this. This is pathetic. This is gonna hurt the state."
The tax plan gets a hearing in the House Appropriations and Revenue committee this morning.