Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 8 august 2018

Tobacco-funded group sues over Montana citizen tax measure

By MATT VOLZ tax increase also would go
Associated Press to the state's treasury under
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A the existing formula for al-
tobacco industry-funded locating tobacco taxes,
group wants to change the but that is not mentioned in
wording of a citizen's ballot the ballot language. Mon-
initiative that would signifi- tanans Against Tax Hikes
cantly raise Montana's to- is asking the state court to
bacco taxes, a legal chal- change the wording to let
lenge that is part of the voters know that a portion
group's expensive effort to of the revenue will go to
defeat the measure when the state general fund.
it goes to voters in Novem- The group also takes issue
ber. with how the ballot state-
The lawsuit filed with the ment calculates the per-
Montana Supreme Court centage change of the
Monday by Montanans wholesale tobacco tax
Against Tax Hikes takes is- and that it describes the
sue with specific phrasing tax increase for snuff by
contained in the 135-word weight, not by can.
ballot statement, saying The lawsuit comes after
the language is incorrect, the Supreme Court ruled
will cause confusion and in May against removing
prevent voters from casting a different citizen's initia-
an informed ballot. tive from the ballot over a
The initiative seeks to raise technical challenge to its
the state's tax on a pack of In this May 18, 2017 file photo, packs of cigarettes are offered for sale at a convenience store in language. The court dis-
cigarettes by $2 to $3.70, Helena, Mont. agreed with the Montana
on snuff to at least $3.70 Associated Press Mining Association's argu-
per 1.2-ounce can and tax ment that the attorney
e-cigarettes and vaping request to the court. "This Hikes is funded by the lob- to the anti-ballot initia- general's legal review was
products for the first time. is exactly the type of legal bying arms of the compa- tive group, which is not faulty of the measure to in-
The new revenue, estimat- deficiency that is within the nies that make Marlboro only spending hundreds crease the requirements for
ed to reach $74 million a scope of the Attorney Gen- and Camel cigarettes. Al- of thousands of dollars in new mines' cleanup plans.
year by 2023, would be eral's review." tria Client Services and RAI legal fees, but appears to Fox spokesman John Barnes
used to pay for the state's The ballot committee cre- Services Company have be gearing up for a ma- said the attorney general's
share of Medicaid expan- ated to support the initia- donated to the group a jor media campaign after office stands by its legal
sion, which enrolls nearly tive, Healthy Montana for combined $1 million so far spending tens of thousands review of the tobacco tax
100,000 people and would I-185, said the tobacco in personnel, research, le- of dollars on polling, focus measure, as it did with the
otherwise expire next year industry is trying to create gal services and other in- groups and test ads, ac- mining initiative.
if lawmakers don't renew confusion by filing the law- kind contributions, accord- cording to the campaign The state has until Aug. 13
it. Money from the tax in- suit instead of helping vot- ing to a campaign finance finance report. to respond in court. That's
crease also would go to ers understand the choice report filed to the state The group's treasurer, Re- just 10 days before the
stop-smoking programs they will have in November. commissioner of political publican public affairs con- deadline for Secretary of
and health programs for "Big Tobacco will try any- practices last Wednesday. sultant Chuck Denowh, did State Corey Stapleton, a
the elderly, disabled and thing to protect their prof- Those same two com- not return a telephone mes- Republican, to certify the
veterans. its at the expense of Mon- panies spent more than sage seeking comment but candidates and initiatives
The group is challenging tana's health," said Aman- $200,000 last year to kill a said in a statement that the that are to appear on the
the legal review by At- da Cahill, a spokeswoman similar bill that was moving ballot initiative is a massive ballot.
torney General Tim Fox, a for the pro-initiative group through the state legisla- new tax increase that per- Stapleton Chief of Staff
Republican, of the initia- and a lobbyist for the ture, according to lobbyist manently expands Med- Christi Jacobsen said the
tive and asking the court American Heart Associa- disclosure forms. icaid but doesn't allocate certification won't be de-
to order Fox to change the tion. "Pursuing an unneces- Then, the companies hired enough money to pay for layed for the court case,
wording, but not remove sary legal challenge while additional lobbyists and it. raising the possibility that
the measure from the bal- wasting taxpayer dollars coached witnesses who "Montanans Against Tax ballots may have to be re-
lot. appears to be part of Big testified against the mea- Hikes plans to run a cam- printed if the court orders
"The Attorney General Tobacco's playbook na- sure to defeat it in the Mon- paign and make sure vot- the language changed
serves as the gatekeeper tionwide — it's unfortunate tana House of Representa- er understand why they after the deadline. "We will
to the ballot," the group's to see it happening Mon- tives. should reject I-185," De- cross that bridge if we get
lawyer, former U.S. Attor- tana." Now the companies are nowh said in the statement. there," Jacobsen said in an
ney Bill Mercer, wrote in the Montanans Against Tax funneling more resources Millions of dollars from the email.q