Title

Cigarette Tax to Fund Healthcare, Tobacco Use Prevention, Research, and Law Enforcement. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.

Proposition Summary

Increases cigarette tax by $2.00/pack, with equivalent increase on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes containing nicotine. • Allocates revenues primarily to increase funding for existing healthcare programs; also for tobacco use prevention/control programs, tobacco-related disease research/law enforcement, University of California physician training, dental disease prevention programs, and administration. Excludes these revenues from Proposition 98 education funding calculation requirements. • If tax causes decreased tobacco consumption, transfers tax revenues to offset decreases to existing tobacco-funded programs and sales tax revenues. • Requires biennial audit. • Increased net state revenue of $1 billion to $1.4 billion in 2017–18, with potentially lower annual revenues over time. These funds would be allocated to a variety of specific purposes, with most of the monies used to augment spending on health care for low-income Californians.

Proposition Number

56

Year

2016

Document Type

Proposition

Pass/Fail

Pass

Popular Vote Results

Y: 6787819; A: 63.5; N: 3899182; B: 36.5

Election Type

General Election

Proposition Type

Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute

For Author

JOANNA MORALES, Past Chair of the BoardAmerican Cancer Society, California DivisionTAMI TITTELFITZ, R.N., Leadership Board MemberAmerican Lung Association in CaliforniaDAVID LEE, M.D., PresidentAmerican Heart Association, Western States Affiliate

Against Author

TOM BOGETICH, Former Executive DirectorCalifornia State Board of EducationARNOLD M. ZEIDERMAN, M.D., M.P.H., FACOG,Former Director, Maternal Health and Family Planning,Los Angeles County Department of HealthTOM DOMINGUEZ, PresidentAssociation of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs

Rebuttal Author

MIKE GENEST, Former DirectorCalifornia Department of FinanceTOM BOGETICH, Former Executive DirectorCalifornia State Board of EducationLEW UHLER, PresidentNational Tax Limitation Committee

Rebuttal Against Author

STUART COHEN, M.D., M.P.H., District ChairAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, CaliforniaLORI G. BREMNER, California Grassroots DirectorAmerican Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkALEX M. JOHNSON, Executive DirectorChildren’s Defense Fund—California

Recommended Citation

Cigarette Tax to Fund Healthcare, Tobacco Use Prevention, Research, and Law Enforcement. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute. California Proposition 56 (2016).
https://repository.uclawsf.edu/ca_ballot_props/1349