Oregon Measure 50, Healthcare Funded by Tobacco Tax Amendment (2007)

Oregon Measure 50
Election date November 6, 2007
Topic Taxes
Status Defeated
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Oregon Measure 50 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Oregon on November 6, 2007. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported increasing taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, allocating revenues towards funding for the Healthy Kid's Program, tobacco prevention programs, and healthcare for low-income adults and children.

A "no" vote opposed increasing taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, allocating revenues towards funding for the Healthy Kid's Program, tobacco prevention programs, and healthcare for low-income adults and children.

Election results

Oregon Measure 50
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		472,063	40.75%
No		686,470	59.25%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Measure 50 was as follows:

“

AMENDS CONSTITUTION: DEDICATES FUNDS TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN, FUND TOBACCO PREVENTION, THROUGH INCREASED TOBACCO TAX. RESULT OF “YES” VOTE: “Yes” vote dedicates funds to provide health care for children, low-income adults and medically underserved Oregonians, and fund tobacco prevention programs, through increased tobacco tax. RESULT OF “NO” VOTE: “No” vote rejects proposal to dedicate funding for children’s health care, other health care programs, and tobacco prevention programs; maintains tobacco tax at current level. SUMMARY: This measure increases the tobacco tax and dedicates the new revenue to providing health care for children, low-income adults and other medically underserved Oregonians, and to funding tobacco prevention and education programs. The measure increases the tax on cigarettes by 84.5 cents per pack, and increases the tax on other tobacco products. The measure will fund the Healthy Kids Program created by the 2007 legislature to provide affordable health care for uninsured children. The measure will fund tobacco prevention programs, safety net clinics, rural health care and health care for Oregon’s lowest income families and individuals through the Oregon Health Plan. If the measure does not pass, these health care programs will not be expanded, and the Healthy Kids Program will not become law. ESTIMATE OF FINANCIAL IMPACT: This measure increases state revenue by an estimated $152.7 million for the 2007-2009 budget period. Revenue is estimated to increase $233.2 million in the following two-year period. These estimates account for a projected decline in the sale of tobacco products because of higher prices. These estimates would be reduced if further restrictions on smoking become law. The additional state revenue generated by this measure would be available to allocate to programs that provide health care for children, low-income adults and other medically vulnerable Oregonians, and to tobacco prevention programs.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Oregon Constitution

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Oregon State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 31 votes in the Oregon House of Representatives and 16 votes in the Oregon State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

2007 Measures

• 2007 Measures
• Taxes on the ballot
• 2007 legislative sessions

Oregon

• Oregon ballot measures
• Oregon ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Oregon Voter Guide (2007)