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Pennsylvania Escapes Cigar Tax 

Pennsylvania cigar lovers may soon have cause to celebrate as lawmakers presented the governor a bill to end the state's 101-day budget impasse that does not include a tax on large cigars.

Previous versions of the budget bill HB1531 had included the state's first-ever cigar tax of 30 percent. Aside from Florida, Pennsylvania is the only state in the union not to tax premium cigars.

The cigar tax, as well as taxes on natural-gas drilling, performance arts and small games of chance, became the focus of a political battle between Democrats, who control the House, and Republicans, who hold a majority in the Senate, that has lasted 101 days.

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