Advocates Say Tobacco Industry Vows To Seek Retribution, Launch ‘Scorched Earth’ Campaign Following Vote
Lawmakers also say lobbyists threatened to derail other, unrelated ballot measures because the tobacco package passed the Legislature.
The Sacramento Bee:
California Tobacco Bills Spurred Hardball Political Threats
Tobacco industry lobbyists threatened to scuttle unrelated ballot initiatives if California lawmakers passed sweeping anti-smoking measures, health advocates said on Friday. While lawmakers said bills now on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk to raise the tobacco-buying age to 21 and to regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products drew fierce industry opposition, they characterized the effort as a hard-to-trace background campaign. Assembly Speaker-elect Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, last week told reporters lawmakers had received “threats involving electoral efforts.” (White, 3/11)