With the country’s election day 2007 now behind us, voters in Oregon have been defeated in their fight to expand public health coverage for needy children. Big Tobacco spent $100 million last year alone to fight cigarette tax increases and smoking bans on ballots in several states, winning in two states and losing in two others. Their recent campaign in Oregon against Measure 50, which would have allowed an 84.5-cent-per-pack cigarette tax increase, has broken that state’s spending record for ballots. Though the tax hike backers had raised over $1 million for their cause, mainly from hospitals and insurance companies, Big Tobacco spent almost ten times that, making a huge dent in the majority support that the measure initially had. Measure 50 was rejected by 60% of the state’s voters.
MEASURE 50: VOTERS REJECT INCREASE IN CIGARETTE TAX
by Whitney Malkin
The Register-Guard
November 7, 2007
BIG TOBACCO PLANS TO CONTINUE BARRAGE OF ADS
by Steve Law
Statesman Journal
November 1, 2007
TOBACCO GIANTS TAKE UP FIGHT TO SQUASH TAX
by Janie Har
The Oregonian
August 18, 2007
