There are four proposals up for discussion this winter that could change who has access to tobacco products and where they can smoke them. At least two legislators want smoke shops and cigar bars to resume selling tobacco products while they serve drinks, including liquor. The catch? At least 60 percent of the businesses' sales would need to be from tobacco products. Smoking discussion to resurface; Four cigarette-related bills before the Legislature this winter - EagleTribune.com, North...

The measure would add $35 billion to the program, financed by raising the federal cigarette tax from 39 cents now to $1 a pack. Elizabeth Dole contends the tobacco tax increase would cost the state nearly $600 million by reducing manufacturing, farm production, tax revenues and the state's Master Agreement share, as well as eliminating 1,800 farm jobs. SCHIP help pays for medical care for children whose families are caught in the gap between earning too much money to qualify for Medicaid...

With soybean harvest approaching the halfway mark, farmers remain on schedule with last year and slightly ahead of the five-year average. Tobacco farmers are enjoying great weather for stripping the crop. Under this declaration, SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to farm-related and non-farm-related small businesses and small agricultural cooperatives that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the drought. However, most field activities are still ahead of,...

He began working in tobacco when he was 20-years-old in his native Mexico where he will return shortly now that the tobacco harvesting season has ended here. While there are no precise figures on the number of people suffering from GTS, one study conducted on migrant workers in North Carolina suggests that 41 percent of tobacco handlers get the illness at least once during the harvest season. Thousands of tobacco workers fall victim to the illness each year. The symptoms include nausea,...

The incentives packages that North Carolina government officials offer to companies will come under scrutiny over the next year by a legislative study commission. From my vantage point, I think we just need to bring everything out in the open and take a good long look at what we re doing, why we re doing it and what we hope to accomplish, said Sen. That would include tax credits awarded to companies, worker training at community colleges, the university system, the N. We re going to listen...