Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Saturday, April 26
Gov. Blagojevich's new budget, coming later today, calls for a 75-cent-per-pack increase in the state's cigarette tax. This would bring the total per-pack tax in the city to $3.28, and total prices close to eight dollars a pack. The tax increase is needed to help close a $1.1 billion budget gap.