We’re nine days out from election day and as of right now I plan to vote “no” on Constitutional Amendment 3, which will read:
Shall the Missouri Constitution Be Amended To:
When cigarette taxes are fully implemented, estimated additional revenue to state government is $263 million to $374 million annually, with limited estimated implementation costs. The revenue will fund only only programs and services allowed by the proposal. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities are unknown.
Fair Ballot Language:
A ‘yes’ vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to increase taxes on cigarettes each year through 2020, at which point this will total 60 cents per pack of 20. This amendment also creates a fee paid for by cigarette wholesalers of 67 cents per packs of 20 on certain cigarettes. This amendment further provides that the funds shall be deposited into a newly established Early Childhood Health and Education Trust Fund.
A ‘no’ vote will not amend the Constitution relating to taxes and fees on cigarettes.
If passed, this measure will increase taxes on cigarettes.
I would love it if Missouri could provide an additional 263 to 374 million dollars annually to early childhood education and health programs. And although I am generally not a proponent of regressive and vice taxes as they tend to hurt impoverished people the most, I could get behind a cigarette tax increase in Missouri because the national average is $1.65 in taxes for a pack of cigarettes and we’re only at $0.16 here. So I should be 100% in favor of Constitutional Amendment 3, right?
I am voting “no” because Constitutional Amendment 3 will benefit big tobacco, not young children.
Based solely on the name, Raise Your Hands For Kids sounds like a lovely organization. I consider myself to be an advocate for children, so it stands to reason that this organization entices a person like myself. After doing just a little bit of research, I discovered that Raise Your Hands For Kids is nothing other than a big tobacco lobby created for one purpose: the passage of Constitutional Amendment 3. This supposedly pro-child amendment is just a scam attempting to dupe well-intentioned voters into supporting big tobacco companies.
Like I mentioned earlier, the cigarette sales tax has a national average of $1.65 per pack. Under the proposed amendment, Missouri will remain at less than half of the national average. The tax increase would be incremental over a number of years, giving tobacco companies the opportunity to absorb small tax increases. The only evidence we have of price increase decreasing the number of smokers is when the price increases suddenly and dramatically. The experts on the issue oppose the amendment including the American Lung Association in Missouri, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, Tobacco-Free Missouri, The University of Missouri and Washington University in St. Louis.
If Constitutional Amendment 3 passes, there is no guarantee that the revenue raised would go to early childhood programs for children with economic need. The funding could go to private schools and religious institutions. The poorest people in our state who are addicted to tobacco will be helping to offset the cost of wealthy families’ preschool programs. How is that possible? Because public education does not begin until kindergarten in our country. This is why early childhood education funding matters appear at the state level. The federal government does provide some funding for preschool, such as Head Start and Early Childhood Special Education funding. But those programs are grant-funded and therefore we are unable to guarantee the sustainability of the funds.
In case you zoned out or just don’t want to read this entire post, here are my main arguments:
If you also believe the ample research supporting the long-term positive outcomes of early childhood education is more than enough evidence to support the argument that a pre-kindergarten program should be enjoyed by every child, you can help. Consider voting for champions of early childhood programs on November 8th.
Shall the Missouri Constitution Be Amended To:
- increase taxes on cigarette sales each year through 2020, at which point this additional tax will total 60 cents per pack of 20;
- create a fee paid for by cigarette wholesalers of 67 cents per pack on certain cigarettes, which fee shall increase annually, and;
- deposit funds generated by these taxes and fees into a newly established Early Childhood Health and Education Trust Fund?
When cigarette taxes are fully implemented, estimated additional revenue to state government is $263 million to $374 million annually, with limited estimated implementation costs. The revenue will fund only only programs and services allowed by the proposal. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities are unknown.
Fair Ballot Language:
A ‘yes’ vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to increase taxes on cigarettes each year through 2020, at which point this will total 60 cents per pack of 20. This amendment also creates a fee paid for by cigarette wholesalers of 67 cents per packs of 20 on certain cigarettes. This amendment further provides that the funds shall be deposited into a newly established Early Childhood Health and Education Trust Fund.
A ‘no’ vote will not amend the Constitution relating to taxes and fees on cigarettes.
If passed, this measure will increase taxes on cigarettes.
I would love it if Missouri could provide an additional 263 to 374 million dollars annually to early childhood education and health programs. And although I am generally not a proponent of regressive and vice taxes as they tend to hurt impoverished people the most, I could get behind a cigarette tax increase in Missouri because the national average is $1.65 in taxes for a pack of cigarettes and we’re only at $0.16 here. So I should be 100% in favor of Constitutional Amendment 3, right?
I am voting “no” because Constitutional Amendment 3 will benefit big tobacco, not young children.
Based solely on the name, Raise Your Hands For Kids sounds like a lovely organization. I consider myself to be an advocate for children, so it stands to reason that this organization entices a person like myself. After doing just a little bit of research, I discovered that Raise Your Hands For Kids is nothing other than a big tobacco lobby created for one purpose: the passage of Constitutional Amendment 3. This supposedly pro-child amendment is just a scam attempting to dupe well-intentioned voters into supporting big tobacco companies.
Like I mentioned earlier, the cigarette sales tax has a national average of $1.65 per pack. Under the proposed amendment, Missouri will remain at less than half of the national average. The tax increase would be incremental over a number of years, giving tobacco companies the opportunity to absorb small tax increases. The only evidence we have of price increase decreasing the number of smokers is when the price increases suddenly and dramatically. The experts on the issue oppose the amendment including the American Lung Association in Missouri, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, Tobacco-Free Missouri, The University of Missouri and Washington University in St. Louis.
If Constitutional Amendment 3 passes, there is no guarantee that the revenue raised would go to early childhood programs for children with economic need. The funding could go to private schools and religious institutions. The poorest people in our state who are addicted to tobacco will be helping to offset the cost of wealthy families’ preschool programs. How is that possible? Because public education does not begin until kindergarten in our country. This is why early childhood education funding matters appear at the state level. The federal government does provide some funding for preschool, such as Head Start and Early Childhood Special Education funding. But those programs are grant-funded and therefore we are unable to guarantee the sustainability of the funds.
In case you zoned out or just don’t want to read this entire post, here are my main arguments:
- Constitutional Amendment 3 is an amendment in support of big tobacco, not early childhood education.
- The lack of funding for early childhood education is twofold: Missouri needs to increase funding on the state-level utilizing a sustainable revenue source (as opposed to a falling source like cigarette sales) and federal law needs to be changed in order to include pre-kindergarten as part of the public education program.
If you also believe the ample research supporting the long-term positive outcomes of early childhood education is more than enough evidence to support the argument that a pre-kindergarten program should be enjoyed by every child, you can help. Consider voting for champions of early childhood programs on November 8th.
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