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• State Looks to Target Smaller Cigarette Companies as Source for Cash 

Facing a daunting deficit, some lawmakers plan to again target the smaller cigarette companies that didn't participate in Florida's settlement with the tobacco industry about a decade ago.

Back in 1997, Florida reached a settlement with large tobacco companies that the state contended were costing Florida money by making people sick. The settlement included companies that made most of those cigarettes – but left out a few companies with barely enough market share to be noticed. Those companies, though, particularly Miami-based Dosal, have greatly increased their share of the market since then.

And with Florida facing a deficit of some $2.7 billion, adding Dosal and other small companies to the settlement could bring in $70 million or so new dollars that when matched by Medicaid money from Washington could mean about $200 million for Florida health care programs.

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