California Tobacco Tax for Cancer Research Act (2010)
From Ballotpedia
A California Tobacco Tax for Cancer Research Act may be on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California. If it passes, it will add one dollar of taxes to each pack of cigarettes purchased in the state.
Don Perata is a key sponsor.[1]
On September 22, 2009, the law firm of Olson, Hagel & Fishburn filed a request with the Office of the California Attorney General for an official ballot title on an act that they are calling the "California Cancer Research Act". Once the attorney general's office has provided that title, supporters will be able to start collecting signatures on this initiated state statute.
The goal of the proposed act is to add new taxes to cigarettes and use the new tax money to fund various cancer research programs.
New tobacco taxes
If this measure succeeds, it will impose these new taxes:
- A separate excise tax on every distributor of cigarettes at the rate of fifty mills for each cigarette sold.
- Every cigarette dealer or wholesaler would have to pay a floor stock tax for each cigarette in his or her possession at the rate of fifty mills for each cigarette.
Opponents
- Chad Griffin, a political consultant who works with Rob Reiner, said that early childhood advocates might oppose the measure: "Unless this is corrected, and hopefully this was a mistaken omission and can be refiled quickly ... I think you'd see a wide coalition of people including Rob Reiner and children's health and education groups across the state actively opposing something that ideally we'd be supporting."[1]
- Tobacco companies R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris oppose the measure.[1]
- The California Taxpayers Association and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association have indicated that they are likely to oppose the measure, if it qualifies for the ballot.[1]
Current cigarette taxes
- California has had a 12-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes for several decades. The income from this tax goes into the state's unrestricted general fund.
- California Proposition 99 (1988). This measure added a 25-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes. The money collected from the Proposition 99 tax goes to fund tobacco-related health education and disease research, hospital care for the indigent, and park and wildlife restoration.
- California Proposition 10 (1998). This measure imposes a 50-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes. It was supported by Rob Reiner and generates about $500 million in taxes a year, as of 2009. The funds from this measure are earmarked to fund early childhood education.
- The federal government taxes each pack of cigarettes sold in California at sixty cents, effective April 2009.
External link
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Contra Costa Times, "Perata's cigarette tax measure finds First 5 foes", November 17, 2009
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