California Tobacco Tax Increase for Tuition for College Students (2014)
| Not on Ballot |
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| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
A California Tobacco Tax Increase for Tuition for College Students Initiative (#12-0018), an initiated state statute, was approved for circulation in California as a contender for the November 4, 2014 ballot.
Its sponsors, however, did not submit any signatures to election officials by the deadline.
If the initiative had qualified for the ballot and been approved by the state's voters, it would have increased the tax paid on a pack of cigarettes in California by $1. This additional tax revenue would have been given to the California Student Aid Commission.
Supporters of the measure said that the point of this would have been "to preserve and protect California's public university system, strengthen our state's economy, and ensure that California's high school graduates have the opportunity to lead the next wave of innovations."[1]
Supporters of the measure called it "The California Residents College Accessibility and Affordability Act of 2014."[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title:
Official summary:
- "Increases cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack. Allocates revenues to expand financial aid for California residents enrolled at UC or CSU. If new tax causes decreased tobacco consumption, thus reducing existing tobacco-tax revenues, current tobacco funding for tobacco health education/research, medical care, environment, breast cancer research/services, early childhood development, and General Fund will be maintained by transferring new tax revenues to offset decrease. Requires annual independent audit and accounting. Establishes five-member oversight committee."
Fiscal impact statement:
Note: The fiscal impact statement for a California ballot initiative authorized for circulation is jointly prepared by the state's legislative analyst and its director of finance.
- "Additional annual state tax revenues of (1) $800 million from the cigarette excise tax increase of $1 per pack and (2) $45 million from the excise tax increase on other tobacco products triggered by the measure. The additional cigarette tax revenue would be spent on financial aid for resident students at the state's public universities ($730 million) and backfilling losses to existing tobacco programs ($70 million). The additional revenue from other tobacco products would be used for other existing programs, including tobacco-prevention and education."
Support
Supporters
Supporters of the measure included:
- Gavin Newsom[1]
- Democratic strategist Jason Kinney[1]
Arguments in favor
- "There's no reason why the dream of college education should be out of reach for any hard working student in California," according to supporter Jason Kinney.[1]
Path to the ballot
- James C. Harrison submitted a letter requesting a ballot title on December 21, 2012.
- A ballot title and summary were issued by California's attorney general's office on February 21, 2013.
- 504,760 valid signatures were required for qualification purposes.
- The 150-day circulation deadline for #12-0018 was July 22, 2013. However, no signatures were filed by this deadline.
External links
Footnotes
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This article about a California ballot proposition is a sprout. |
