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Chanting “Pass the Buck,” hundreds of volunteers from across the state rallied on the steps of the state capitol today to push for a dollar increase in the state cigarette tax.

The tax has not been raised since 1990 and Florida’s 33.9 cent tax is the 45th lowest in the nation. Bill Sponsor Representative Jim Waldman told the crowd not to accept anything less than a dollar per pack increase.

“It’s the dollar that’s going to make the difference. 65 cents, 75 cents that’s not what we need,” Waldman said. “We need to stop teen smoking, and the only way we’re going to do that is to hurt them where it hurts and that’s in the pocketbook. So please, don’t compromise on it.”

Even Republicans seem to be eying a cigarette tax increase, but their bill would raise the tax just 65 cents. A dollar a pack could put as much as a billion dollars a year in the state treasury.