Proposition filed on Mo. tobacco taxes to fund education, health | News

(KFVS) - A group of organizations and individuals led by the American Cancer Society have filed a proposition on tobacco taxes to provide funding for public education, higher education and public health in Missouri.

The coalition sponsoring the measure is made up of medical and public health professionals, education groups, business leaders and community leaders.

“We are pleased this measure has potential to help school districts deal with the funding problems they face,” says Missouri School Boards’ Association Executive Director Dr. Carter Ward. “This proposition presents the voters of Missouri the opportunity to voice their opinion on this issue.”

The group says Missouri has the lowest cigarette tax of all states in the nation, and very high smoking and other tobacco product use rates. They say the measure filed. Tuesday would ask voters to approve 80 cent per pack cigarette tax increase and an equivalent increase on other tobacco products.

According to the filers, the tax increase would go towards local public k-12 schools, colleges, and universities statewide, and tobacco use prevention and quit assistance programs. They say it will also close a loophole that allows certain small tobacco companies to avoid contributing to a fund that reimburses the state in part for tobacco-related costs.

For more information, you can contact Misty Snodgrass with the American Cancer Society at 573-268-9046 or misty.snodgrass@cancer.org.

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