Health Coalition Reaches Into Deep Pockets To Battle Powerful Tobacco Industry
Billionaire Tom Steyer has donated $1 million so far toward the fight for a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes. The coalition said Monday it has received enough signatures to get the measure on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Los Angeles Times:
Billionaire-Backed Campaign Launched To Raise California’s Tobacco Tax
A coalition of health groups has launched a new campaign to ask voters in November to increase California's tax on cigarettes by $2 per pack, this time enlisting deep-pocket supporters to counter a tobacco industry that blocked several attempts in the past. Billionaire Tom Steyer, who was the nation’s largest individual political donor in 2014, spending $74 million that year, is leading the campaign for the tobacco tax. He has funneled $1 million into collecting signatures to qualify the measure for the Nov. 8 ballot. (McGreevy, 5/17)
The San Francisco Chronicle:
$2 Cigarette Tax Initiative Advances Toward Ballot
Supporters of a $2 per pack tax increase on cigarettes said Monday that they have gathered 1 million signatures in order to qualify the initiative for the November ballot. California would raise its cigarette tax for the first time in nearly two decades under the ballot measure, going from 87 cents to $2.87 on top of the regular price of smokes. The signatures are being turned over to the secretary of state’s office, which will work to verify the 585,407 signatures needed for the measure to make the ballot. (Gutierrez, 5/16)
Capital Public Radio:
California Tobacco Tax Backers Submit Signatures
This ballot measure would raise the tax by $2 a pack – and extend that tax to e-cigarettes, which are not currently covered by it. Most of the tax revenues would go toward increased payments to doctors from California’s health care program for the poor. (Adler, 5/16)
The Associated Press:
Tax Measure Could Cause Financial Jolt To California Smokers
Backers of the measure delivered their first box of petition signatures to the San Diego County registrar of voters. They said a million signatures have been gathered and will be delivered to counties throughout the state. A total of 585,407 signatures of registered voters must be verified for the measure to appear on the November ballot. The increase would make California's tax the ninth-highest in the nation, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an advocacy group. New York has the nation's highest state tax at $4.35 a pack, and Missouri is lowest at 17 cents. (Spagat, 5/17)
In other tobacco news —
Reuters:
Calpers Accelerates Timeline For Tobacco Study
The board of the California Public Employees' Retirement System on Monday shortened the timeline for the completion of a study examining its 16-year-old decision to divest from tobacco. In April, Calpers, the largest U.S. pension fund, voted to conduct the study to see if the pension fund took huge losses and should potentially re-invest in tobacco. (Carroll, 5/16)