Wednesday, October 21, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Tobacco tax, campaign
contributions on ballot
By Sara Cline
Associated Press/Report for America
SALEM (AP) 4 Two mea-
sures the Oregon Legislature
placed on the November 3
ballot for Oregonians to vote
on include limiting campaign
contributions and increasing
tax on cigarettes, as well as
creating a tax on electronic
cigarettes.
Both have received wide-
spread and bipartisan sup-
port, which proponents hope
will help push the measures to
victory.
A vote in favor of ballot
Measure 108 would increase
Oregon9s cigarette tax by $2
per pack 4 from $1.33 to
$3.33 4 increase the cap on
cigar taxes to $1 per cigar and
add a 65 percent tax on e-cig-
arettes and vaping products,
which are not currently taxed.
The funds from the tax
increase would be used
for public health programs
including smoking prevention
and cessation programs. The
projected new annual revenue
is about $130 million.
Supporters of the bill
include Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown, state lawmak-
ers and organizations such
as the American Heart
Association, the American
Lung Association, the Oregon
Association of Hospitals and
Health Systems.
Brown said not only does
she believe the measure would
save lives and help people
quit smoking, but it will also
<ensure Oregonians can con-
tinue to access the health care
they need to thrive= due to the
increased funds.
All Democrats in Oregon9s
House and Senate, except for
one, voted in favor of the tax.
<Ultimately, I9m tired of
seeing my patients 4 too
often the working poor who
were targeted by big tobacco
in their youth 4 die pre-
mature and painful deaths
because of the impact of
tobacco. This weighs on me
every day,= said Rep. Rachel
Prusak (D-West Linn), who is
a nurse practitioner. <And it
also ultimately weighs on the
state 4 currently, the Oregon
Health Plan spends roughly
$374 million a year just treat-
ing tobacco-related illnesses.=
According to the American
Cancer Society, in 2020
it is estimated that 1,750
Oregonians will die from lung
or bronchus cancer. Cancer, in
general, is the leading cause of
death in Oregon.
Out of the 22 Republicans
in the House, Rep. Cheri Helt
and Rep. Greg Smith were the
only two who voted in favor
of the tax.
During a committee ses-
sion about the-then bill, Smith
said he supported it because
the people who would receive
public assistance for health
care will likely end up pay-
ing for a portion of the tax
themselves.
According to Oregon
Secretary of State campaign
finance records, the Yes for
a Healthy Future/Oregonians
for a Smoke Free Tomorrow
political action commit-
tee has collected more than
$13.1 million in campaign
contributions.
The only political action
committees that filed opposi-
tion to the measure with the
Oregon Secretary of State9s
Office was the Taxpayers
Association of Oregon, whose
leaders say the tax would neg-
atively impact low-income
consumers and small busi-
nesses selling the products.
Among states with the
highest cigarette tax rate in
2019 were New York and
Connecticut, which both tax
$4.35 per pack.
As of 2019, more than a
dozen states including Oregon
levied a tax rate ranging
from $1 to $1.98 per pack.
If the measure were to pass,
Oregon would sit with at
least ten other states, includ-
ing Washington, whose tax
rate for a pack of cigarettes is
between $2 and $3.10.
Also on November9s ballot
is Measure 107 which, if voted
in favor of, would amend the
Oregon Constitution and allow
for state, counties and cities
to place limitations on politi-
cal contributions and expen-
ditures, require disclosure of
campaign contributions and
expenditures and allow rules
requiring campaigns to be
transparent about who paid
for political advertisements.
Currently, there is no limit
in contributions to candidates
or ballot measures. Other
states without limits include
Alabama, Nebraska and Utah.
In 1997, the Oregon
Supreme Court ruled that
the state constitution9s sec-
tion, specifically regarding
freedom of speech, prevents
the Legislature from limiting
campaign finance activity.
The measure has received
widespread and bipar-
tisan support, including
Brown, state senators and
representatives.
<A constitutional amend-
ment must make it clear to
voters and the courts that
campaign contributions may
be regulated and that the
greatest transparency in cam-
paigns is permissible,= Brown
said. <My goal is to see last-
ing constitutional authority to
regulate campaign finance in
Oregon and to see reasonable
limits put in place.=
K y l e M a r k l e y, a
Libertarian and frequent can-
didate for political office, filed
his opposition to the measure
saying that it would weaken
Oregon9s freedom of speech
guarantees.
27
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