SPOKANE, Wash. — A proposed $2 cigarette tax increase in Washington state has tobacco retailers worried about their survival, with some saying it could be the final blow to their businesses.
The proposed legislation would bring Washington’s cigarette tax to $5.025 per pack, a significant jump from the current $3.025 per pack. For businesses like Spokane Cigar, located just 30 minutes from the Idaho state line, the increase represents an existential threat.
“It definitely worries me,” said Brandiee Gilbert, manager at Spokane Cigar…