How they voted: House Bill 1054X falls short by just five votes

You already know that the House Bill that was supposed to give teachers a $3,000 pay raise but also raise taxes on gas, cigarettes and low-point beer failed to pass. But readers are asking, “how did my guy vote?”

See the answer in the table we’ve provided below.

State Representative Mark Lawson voted for the bill, and is obviously disappointed that it didn’t pass.

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“The overwhelming majority of the constituents I’ve talked to during both regular and special session this year have advocated for two things: 1) fix the budget and 2) give teachers a raise. The vote yesterday addressed both of those,” he said.

“The longer this special session has kept going, the more dire the situation has become for many families and individuals in the district,” he continued.

“Without proper funding, CREOKS will very likely have to release 16 patients who are currently receiving treatment because they are homicidal or suicidal. I️ have fielded hundreds of emails and phone calls from elderly constituents who will be forced into already overcrowded nursing homes if they lose their ADvantage waiver. Then, there are several people with disabilities who will no longer be able to work or live independently without the current services they receive.

“This vote wasn’t about a legislator’s desire to raise taxes. It was about protecting the most vulnerable people in our state, which we are constitutionally sworn to do. I️ voted for the people of District 30 yesterday because, in the deepest part of my heart, it was the right thing to do.” Lawson said.

The amended bill in the Senate includes the following revenue provisions:

• a $1.50 tax on cigarettes
• modifications to tax stamp rules on cigarettes
• tax rate modification on “little cigars”
• a new tax on chewing tobacco, smokeless tobacco and snuff
• a $0.06 increase on the gas and diesel tax
• and a change to the taxation of low-point beer
• an increase in the gross production tax incentive rate from 2 percent to 4 percent

The revenue bill had been the trigger necessary for a $3,000 teacher pay raise, a $1,000 public employee pay raise and the restoration of the earned income tax credit.

How they voted

Info provided by NonDoc.