Former North Idaho state Rep. Jeff Alltus is back in the Statehouse, this time as a lobbyist. Alltus says he's representing convenience stores that oppose a cigarette tax increase; North Idaho activist Larry Spencer also has donned a lobbyist's green tag and joined the fight. Meanwhile, here's a news item from the Associated Press about the proposed bill:  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — House Revenue and Taxation Committee Chairman Dennis Lake says a bill to hike the cigarette tax likely won't be introduced until late February. Lake, a Republican from Blackfoot, told The Associated Press that strategic reasons are behind the delay. Here's why: A health coalition is promoting the bill as a way to curb smoking by raising the cost of tobacco products. But Lake said the group is also watching the state's dwindling tax revenue, which in December missed forecasts by $10 million. If that trend continues, a bill hiking cigarette taxes by $1.25 a pack — it's currently 57 cents — could be promoted as a way to add an extra $50 million to help cover Medicaid's tobacco-related illness treatment costs. That public insurance program is already facing a $25 million cut in funding.