JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri Supreme Court rules that the proposed increase in the state's tobacco tax can appear on the November Seventh ballot.
The court unanimously held that proponents of the increase collected enough valid signatures from voters to secure a ballot spot for proposed Amendment Three to the Missouri Constitution.
The justices also rejected opponents' arguments that the measure would violate the Missouri Constitution by requiring the expenditure of existing state revenues to pay for its new health
care programs.
Both arguments had been rejected last month by a Cole County circuit judge.
If approved, Missouri's current 17-cents-a-pack cigarette tax would rise to 97 cents beginning January First while tripling taxes on other tobacco products.
Missouri's cigarette tax now is the second lowest in the nation, behind South Carolina.
Projected tax revenues of at least $351 million annually would go toward health care programs and anti-tobacco efforts.
2 comments:
And this will cure all ailments, solve all problems, and make everyone happy... right?
Because if it does, we should just raise taxes on *everything*... right?
If they want to raise taxes on tobacco because it causes health problems, what about the health problems and LEGAL problems alcohol causes? How about a tax on that too or is this just pick on smokers time again?
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