Pro-tax outspends retailers on Prop. B

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Anti-tobacco forces in the education and health care communities have out raised tobacco sellers almost two to one this election cycle. However, it remains to be seen if they can persuade voters to pass Proposition B and increase the excise tax on Missouri smokers.

Read additional details in our newspaper or e-Edition. Newspaper subscribers: Click on an e-Edition article and log in using your current account information at no extra charge. For e-edition help, e-mail circ@newstribune.com. Click here to purchase the full version of archived articles.

Missourians for Health and Education — the campaign committee that supports raising tobacco taxes — reported raising $4.8 million in monetary and in-kind contributions as of Oct. 30.

The bulk of that funding came from the American Cancer Society and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

The Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association’s political action committee has raised more than $2.3 million in monetary and in-kind donations during this election cycle, although not all of that funding is targeted at the Proposition B fight because some of it is used in regular legislative races, said executive director Ron Leone.