LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (March 25, 2009)--It's not exactly the British Tea Party that helped spark the American Revolution, but state moves to boost taxes on things like alcohol and cigarettes are running into some resistance.

In Pittsburgh, people dumped beer and liquor into a river to protest a 10-percent tax on poured drinks.

Patrons at bars in Oregon have protested a proposed beer tax hike by firing off protest notes to lawmakers between swigs.

And in Kentucky, opponents of a 6-percent sales tax on all booze have poured bourbon on the Capitol steps.

Louisville protester Jack Weaver says booze is a way for people to "soak their sorrows" in times like these.

An analyst with the Council of State Governments says "sin taxes" have quickly emerged as a way to plug budget gaps and are less "politically radioactive" than most other taxes.