"This is really a health-care issue," said Ray. He'd earmark the money to the state Health Department for two main programs — expanding a current cancer screening operation that funds scans for 4,000 women and 1,000 men, and extending the current Gold Medal School program from elementary schools into middle and high schools. The Gold Medal program works at several levels as an anti-obesity/good health system for kids, he said.

"Utah has one of the lowest tobacco taxes in the nation," Ray added. A recent tax study ranked Utah 30th in its tobacco tax rate.

"I'd love to drop the tobacco tax take to zero — have no one smoking. This is a user's fee, because smokers are costing the state a lot of money" in health-care costs, Ray said. As a $29 million tax take, Ray said his bill would also provide extra money to help with general health-care insurance reform, a major goal this session for Huntsman and legislators alike.

But in rounding up votes, Ray also stands before a stubborn pro-tobacco lobby. Former Senate president, now lobbyist, Cap Ferry has Altria — the old Philip Morris firm — as a client.

"We don't have a position yet on (Ray's) bill. I just got it last night and sent it on" to company headquarters, Ferry said. But in years past, the tobacco industry has opposed new cigarette taxes in Utah, he added.

In addition, tobacco firms have over the years been constant contributors to many legislators' re-election campaigns. A Deseret Morning News' analysis of campaign reports shows that in 2007, when lawmakers had no races, tobacco firms gave $11,800. And in 2006, when most legislators did have races, tobacco firms gave a combined $36,650 to a number of lawmakers — although some legislators still decline to take tobacco money. Twenty-four legislators took Altria contributions last year, the newspaper found.

In addition to funding other programs, Ray's bill specifically allocates $500,000 to smoking cessation programs and for a public media campaign aimed at preventing and stopping teen smoking. Currently, only those 19 years or older can legally smoke in Utah. And smoking is banned in all public places, including restaurants and bars.

Mainly because of the large numbers of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah (LDS members abstain from smoking), Utah has one of the lowest tobacco usage rates in the United States. Still, more than 170,000 adults and 20,000 youths smoke in the state and more than 1,100 deaths were attributed to smoking last year.

In addition to the tobacco tax, each year Utah gets between $30 million and $35 million from a nationwide tobacco settlement agreement with major tobacco companies.

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Contributing: Lee Davidson
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com