The Latest: Bill with gas and cigarette tax provisions dies

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Latest on tax and bond proposals in the Mississippi Legislature (all times local):

5:18 p.m.

A Mississippi House leader has blocked a bill that could have led to higher gasoline and cigarette taxes.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jeff Smith killed House Bill 1733 on Tuesday by choosing not to bring it up for a vote in the full House. The move came a day after his committee passed the bill without having details about it.

The bill had vague provisions that could have been updated later to include tax increases for gasoline or cigarettes.

Smith brought the House a separate bill Tuesday with $50 million in bonds to pay for local roads and bridges. House Bill 1732 passed by a wide margin but was held for more debate.

The House also passed House Bill 1734 , which included $45 million in bonds for Ingalls Shipbuilding and bonds for universities and community colleges. It was also held for more debate.

____

10:52 a.m.

A Mississippi House chairman says he is backing off a proposal that could have led to higher gasoline and cigarette taxes.

The Ways and Means Committee passed House Bill 1733 on Monday. It included vague provisions that could have been updated later with those specific tax increases.

The committee chairman, Republican Jeff Smith of Columbus, did an about-face Tuesday by saying that he won’t bring the bill to a vote in the 122-member House. Smith would not say what prompted his reversal.

The state chamber of commerce is among those pushing lawmakers to spend hundreds of millions more dollars to improve transportation.

Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn of Clinton said last week that many representatives want more details about conditions of highways and bridges before voting on funding.