Previously:

Campaign Finance: please pass the gas (August 14, 2012)

Today, from tobacco, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C091068 07/29/2013 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, INC Xcaliber International Ltd LLC 4747 NE 1st Street Pryor OK 74361 7/27/2013 $15,000.00

Yes, that HRCC. They certainly know which side dries their leaves.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C000639 09/18/2012 MO PETROLEUM MARKETERS + CONVENIENCE STORE ASSOC PAC Cheyenne International LLC 701 South Battleground Ave Grover MO 28073 9/18/2012 $200,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a nice round number. And, somehow, so very familiar:

Campaign Finance: in the old days everyone would notice (August 9, 2012)

Campaign Finance: please pass the gas (August 14, 2012)

On occasion we’ll notice something intriguing at the Missouri Ethics Commission that makes us ask, “I wonder what that’s all about?”:

C121226 05/03/2012 ONE AIR ALLIANCE American Cancer Society 3322 S. Campbell Ave, Ste. G Springfield MO 65807 5/3/2012 $6,000.00

C121226 05/17/2012 ONE AIR ALLIANCE American Heart Association 2446 E. Madrid Springfield MO 65804 5/16/2012 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

On June 5th voters in Springfield, Missouri will vote on Question 1 which would repeal the city’s smoke free ordinance.

The One Air Alliance, opposing that repeal, has a web site up and running. It includes some interesting and very effective videos:

…and lungs.

More money from a North Carolina tobacco company to oppose raising Missouri’s lowest in the nation tobacco tax.

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121181 04/25/2012 ENOUGH TAXES ALREADY Cheyenne International 701 South Battleground Ave Grover NC 28073 4/23/2012 $80,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a total of $181,000.00 in the month of April.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: cough, cough, hack, hack (April 10, 2012)

Campaign Finance: up in a cloud of smoke (April 20, 2012)

Previously: Campaign Finance: cough, cough, hack, hack (April 10, 2012)

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission, on opposite sides:

C121181 04/20/2012 ENOUGH TAXES ALREADY Cheyenne International 701 South Battleground Ave Grover NC 28073 4/18/2012 $50,000.00

C121042 04/20/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION American Cancer Society-High Plains Division, Inc. 2433 Ridgepoint Dr Austin TX 78754 4/20/2012 $75,000.00

[emphasis added]

And the players are:

C121042: Missourians For Health And Education

Po Box 412887 Committee Type: Campaign

Kansas City Mo 64141

(816) 820-8201 Established Date: 01/26/2012

[….]

Ballot Measure History

Ballot Measures Election Date Subject Support/Oppose

Statutory Amendment To Chapters 149 & 196 Rsmo Relating To Tobacco Taxation & Regulation 11/06/2012 Tobacco Taxation & Regulation Statewide Support

[emphasis added]

On the tobacco side, a committee organized on April 4, 2012:

C121181: Enough Taxes Already

Po Box 1533 Committee Type: Political Action

Jefferson City Mo 65102

(816) 262-5745 Established Date: 04/04/2012

[….]

Enough Taxes Already [pdf]

Statutory amendment to Chapters 149 and 196 RSMo, relating to tobacco taxation and regulation November 6, 2012, statewide Oppose

[emphasis added]

Enough Taxes Already has received $101,000.00 in April from Cheyenne International.

Uh, Missouri is last [pdf] in the nation in tobacco taxation.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121181 04/10/2012 ENOUGH TAXES ALREADY Cheyenne International 701 South Battleground Ave. Grover NC 28073 4/6/2012 $51,000.00

[emphasis added]

North Carolina. This wouldn’t have anything to do with tobacco, would it?

A brand new PAC:

C121181: Enough Taxes Already

Po Box 1533 Committee Type: Political Action

Jefferson City Mo 65102

(816) 262-5745 Established Date: 04/04/2012

[emphasis added]

Yep.

Their purpose [pdf]: “Statutory amendment to Chapters 149 and 196, RSMo relating to tobacco taxation and regulation” “November 6, 2012, statewide” “Oppose”

Enough Taxes Already – with no sense of irony.

STATE CIGARETTE EXCISE TAX RATES & RANKINGS [pdf]

Overall All States’ Average: $1.46 per pack

Major Tobacco States’ Average: 48.5 cents per pack

Other States’ Average: $1.59 per pack

State Tax Rank

Missouri $0.17 51st

[emphasis added]

That would be last place in case you were wondering.

Cheyenne International? Yep, a tobacco company.

If you DON’T currently use tobacco, Cheyenne International encourages you NOT to start.

No sense of irony in that universe.

Previously: Initiative petitions on raising the tobacco tax (February 14, 2012)

At the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121042 01/27/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION American Cancer Society, High Plains Division, Inc. 2433 Ridgepoint Drive Austin TX 78754 1/26/2012 $217,622.00

C121042 02/09/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION American Cancer Society, High Plains Division Inc. 2433 Ridgepoint Dr Austin TX 78754 2/8/2012 $82,500.00

C121042 02/14/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc 555 11th Street NW Suite 300 Washington DC 20004 2/14/2012 $5,308.50

C121042 02/15/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City 2700 East 18th Street Suite 200 Kansas City MO 64127 2/15/2012 $350,000.00

[emphasis added]

When did Missourians for Health and Education start up and what do they want to do?:

C121042: Missourians For Health And Education

Po Box 412887 Committee Type: Campaign

Kansas City Mo 64141

(816) 820-8201 Established Date: 01/26/2012

[….]

Ballot Measure History

Statutory Amendment To Chapters 149 & 196 Rsmo Relating To Tobacco Taxation & Regulation 11/06/2012 Tobacco Taxation & Regulation Statewide Support

Let’s take a look at a bit of the Initial 15 Day Report filed on February 9th:  

EXPENDITURES AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE

MISSOURIANS FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION [pdf] 2/9/2012

B. Itemized Expenditures All Over $100

Fieldworks, LLC 2852 Connecticut Ave, NW Washington DC 20008 1/27/2012 Signature gathering services $150,000.00

[emphasis added]

Yep, sign those petitions, because you just know big tobacco is gonna suck up all the air in the state (cough, cough) when their ad campaign starts up in three, two, one….

A press release from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, February 10, 2012

[….]

Six Initiative Petitions Approved for Circulation for 2012 Ballot

Jefferson City, Missouri – The Missouri Secretary of State’s office today announced that six initiative petitions met state standards for circulation.

The ballot title for all six of the petitions relating to cigarette and other tobacco product taxation reads:

   Shall Missouri law be amended to:

   *    create the Health and Education Trust Fund with proceeds of a tax of $0.0365 per cigarette and 25% of the manufacturer’s invoice price for roll-your-own tobacco and 15% for other tobacco products;

   *    use Fund proceeds to reduce and prevent tobacco use and for elementary, secondary, college, and university public school funding; and

   *    increase the amount that certain tobacco product manufacturers must maintain in their escrow accounts, to pay judgments or settlements, before any funds in escrow can be refunded to the tobacco product manufacturer and create bonding requirements for these manufacturers?

   Estimated additional revenue to state government is $283 million to $423 million annually with limited estimated implementation costs or savings. The revenue will fund only programs and services allowed by the proposal. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities is unknown. Escrow fund changes may result in an unknown increase in future state revenue.

The petitions, which would amend Chapters 149 and 196 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, were submitted by Mr. Robert Hess, Husch Blackwell, LLP, 235 E. High St., PO Box 1251, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1251.

For statutory changes, signatures must be obtained from registered voters equal to five (5) percent of the total votes cast in the 2008 governor’s election from six of the state’s nine congressional districts.

Signatures on behalf of all initiative petitions for the 2012 ballot are due to the Secretary of State’s office by no later than 5 p.m. on May 6, 2012.

Before circulating petitions, state law requires that groups must first have the form of their petition approved by the Secretary of State and Attorney General. The Secretary of State then prepares a summary statement of no more than 100 words and the State Auditor prepares a fiscal impact statement, both of which are subject to the approval of the Attorney General. When both statements are approved, they become the official ballot title.

— 30 —

Visit http://www.sos.mo.gov to find out more about the Missouri Secretary of State’s office.

###

[emphasis added]

From the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids:

….Tobacco tax increases offer a win-win-win solution for states, especially as they face a severe fiscal crisis and work to balance budgets while preserving essential public services.

Health Win: Tobacco tax increases are one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking and other tobacco use, especially among kids. Every 10 percent increase in cigarette prices reduces youth smoking by about seven percent and total cigarette consumption by about four percent.

Budget Win: Every state that has significantly increased its cigarette tax has enjoyed substantial increases in revenue, even while reducing smoking. Higher tobacco taxes also save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs, including Medicaid expenses. States can realize even greater health benefits and cost savings by allocating some of the revenue to programs that prevent children from smoking and help smokers quit.

Political Win: National and state polls consistently have found overwhelming public support for tobacco tax increases. Polls also show that, when it comes to balancing budgets, voters prefer raising tobacco taxes to other tax increases or cutting crucial programs such as education and public safety….

Then again, the republican controlled General Assembly has more important things to address.

And, we’re number fifty!:

Fight Over Missouri’s Cigarette Tax Heats Up; Lung Association Gives State Failing Grade

By Chad Garrison Tue., Jan. 24 2012 at 9:52 AM

Missouri received its annual report card last week from the American Lung Association. The result ain’t pretty.

The state earned an “F” for tobacco prevention and control (spending just $58,693 last year to prevent tobacco use statewide); an “F” for smoke-free air (with legislators refusing to pass a statewide smoking ban and prohibitions in St. Louis and St. Louis County allowing people to continue to light up in bars and casinos); an “F” for its 17-cent per pack cigarette tax (the lowest in the nation) and an “F” for it cessation efforts with Missouri spending 53 cents per smoker when the CDC recommends at least $10.53 per smoker….

Currently the lowest cigarette tax in the nation. Cough.

The Obama administration wants the U.S. Supreme Court to help it recover $280 billion from the major tobacco companies, money described as “ill-gotten gains” from past racketeering violations.

http://www.globe-democrat.com/…