Proposed tobacco tax hike will stay on Missouri ballot

This November, Missouri voters will decide whether or not to raise cigarette taxes.

Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Amendment 3 will stay on the ballot despite a lawsuit from opponents.

Opponents of the amendment argued the measure’s summary did not include enough information, but supreme court judges disagreed.

Missouri currently has the lowest tobacco tax in the country at about 17 cents a cigarette pack. That is much lower than the national average at $1.65 a pack.

Amendment 3 is looking to change that statistic and put the extra funds toward early childhood education.

If passed, the amendment would phase in a tax increase of 60 cents per pack. On top of that, it would also increase fees by 67 cents a back for off-brand cigarettes.

Supporters said the measure would help prevent youth smoking.

“The additional cost will definitely be an inhibitor for young people to purchase,” Joy Sweeney, the Executive Director of the Council for Drug Free Youth, said. “This only raises it insignificantly, however any increase in price I think will deter young people from purchasing tobacco.”

Sweeney said putting the funds toward early childhood education would ultimately help children who need it the most.

“That’s vital to ongoing education and to substance abuse prevention, truthfully. It really, if they can be successful in school, then they will want to stay in school,” Sweeney said.

But opponents like the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, or MPCA, said the tax increase will impact demand and sales and less tax dollars from out-of-state consumers who come to Missouri to buy cheaper tobacco products.

MPCA said Amendment 3 is using the wrong vehicle to support early childhood education, saying the higher tax hike on off-brand cigarettes is unfair.

“It’s a 747 percen tax increase,” Ronadl Leone, the Executive Director of MPCA, said. “That’s why Big Tobacco is supporting it because their competition is getting whacked with a huge tax increase.

Therefore Big Tobacco will be able to sell more cigarettes and be able to make more profits.”

Cigarette giant Reynolds American Inc. is backing the proposal.

At least 19 state senators and 91 state representatives announced opposition to Amendment Three, according to the Missouri Cures Education Foundation.