INDIANAPOLIS | A plan to halve the state's uninsured population by nearly doubling the state cigarette tax won unanimous approval Wednesday from the House Public Health Committee.

Engineered by state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, the proposal aims to provide health insurance for all Indiana children while allowing low-income adults to pay for coverage. Young adults also could remain on their parents' policy an additional five years, until they turn 24.

"I firmly believe that health care is a right and not a privilege," said Brown, chairman of the health committee.

Brown's plan, House Bill 1008, advanced on an 8-0 vote, with five Democrats and three Republicans. The bipartisan support surprised Brown, given that the legislation would increase the cigarette tax by 54.5 cents, to $1.10 per pack.

"I, like anyone else, don't want to raise taxes," said Rep. Suzanne Crouch, R-Evansville.

But she said her daughter and her husband, a smoker, convinced her it was the right thing to do.

A cavalcade of advocates came before the committee to make similar arguments, both for hiking the tobacco tax and for boosting access to health care.

Brown's plan, which he estimates would cover nearly half of the estimated 850,000 Hoosiers without health insurance, is markedly different than the one offered by Gov. Mitch Daniels. Still, observers, including Indiana Family and Social Service Administration Secretary Mitch Roob, called the Democratic plan a solid start.

"This is probably the second step in a very long dance," said Crawfordsville Rep. Timothy Brown, the top Republican on the health committee.