Bryant, Franks face off

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 9/19/7

The room was packed and ready for high drama Tuesday at the BancorpSouth Conference Center, but the expected fireworks from the lieutenant governor candidates fizzled into sparklers.

A spark ignited when one member of the audience asked if an increase in the cigarette tax and a decrease in the grocery sales tax would increase property taxes.

“We can only guess,” Bryant answered, adding that he doesn’t believe the increase in cigarette tax will offset the losses suffered by cutting the sales tax on groceries.

Bryant seemed to advocate a sales tax as an equalizer. “Even illegal immigrants pay sales tax,” he said. Mississippi’s current sales tax rate is 7 percent.