The 75 House members who voted Thursday to raise the state’s cigarette tax included some who were feverish with more than excitement.

Rep. Frank Glidewell, R-Fort Smith, informs that three House members who supported the tax increase were sick with fevers Thursday, but “the governor had enough squeeze” to make them show up. He needed every one of them to get to a three-fourths majority. The vote ended up 75-24, with no votes to spare.

House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, writes that he knew of one supporter of the cigarette tax bill who came in for the vote despite being sick. He says supporters tried to find an opponent to “pair” with the sick member — a practice that allows two members on opposite sides of an issue to sign a form in advance locking in their votes — but found no takers.

Wills writes, “In a shocking display of pettiness, the leaders of the opposition enforced a strict ‘no pair’ policy. … So, the sickly supporter had to come to the chamber to cast his vote …”

One Democrat who stayed home sick Thursday was Rep. J.R. Rogers of Walnut Ridge. Glidewell says he expected Rogers to vote against the bill. No one answered a phone call to Rogers’ home today.

Tags: cigarette tax, Frank Glidewell, Robbie Wills

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