editorial comment No taxation without representation right? That would make for a more interesting tea party than the one held in Boston a few years back.....

A tax on illegal drugs?

Mississippi lawmakers are scrounging for ways to put new money into the state budget before Saturday night. But the idea of requiring dealers to buy tax stamps for cocaine or other illegal drugs was just too much for some legislators.

The House today rejected a proposal to require the black-market tax stamps. Some members worried that taxing illegal drugs could lead dealers to sue the state to try to legalize crack, methamphetamine and other illegal substances.

"You could be promoting corruption with this legislation," said Rep. David Green, D-Gloster. "Folks, we should not try to hoodwink the people of Mississippi."

House Rules Committee Chairman Joe Warren, who's a lawyer, tried to give assurances that the black-market taxes wouldn't make certain drugs legal.

He said law-enforcement agencies and the state's budget would see a financial benefit when drug sellers or carriers pay taxes after being caught.

"I don't think we would have to worry about people rushing in and buying a stamp," Warren said.

Warren said South Carolina, Tennessee and Idaho already require tax stamps on illegal drugs. He said South Carolina has had the tax for years, and has collected between $10 million and $25 million annually. He said Tennessee's law took effect Jan. 1, and the state has already collected $900,000.

The vote was 68-42 for the idea, but 74 votes were needed for the two-thirds majority to file a new bill this late in the three-month session that's set to end April 3.

Before liquor sales were legalized in 1966, Mississippi charged a black-market tax on alcohol.

Saturday night is the deadline for House and Senate negotiators to file final versions of dozens of bills to fund state government for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

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