Proposition 56

My vote

Increases cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with equivalent increase on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes containing nicotine. Fiscal Impact: Additional net state revenue of $1 billion to $1.4 billion in 2017–18, with potentially lower revenues in future years. Revenues would be used primarily to augment spending on health care for low–income Californians.

Semi-Official Election Results:

Yes votes:5,531,023 [62.9%]

No votes: 3,263,175 [37.1%]

See Endorsements for Proposition 56

Details

Pro/Con

Pro:

Supporters of Proposition 56 claim that the measure will help reduce tobacco related health costs. They claim the measure would prevent youth smoking and would focus on reversing the harm caused by tobacco marketing aimed at youth. They say the measure contains effective provisions for transparency and accountability regarding the use of the revenue generated.

Yes on 56
Yes on 56 Facebook
Yes on 56 Twitter
Yes on 56 Instagram

Con:

Opponents assert that Proposition 56 will funnel $1.4 billion in taxes to wealthy special interests and not to smoking prevention and treatment. They claim the state should use tax revenue for more pressing issues such as the drought and crime prevention. They also criticize the administrative costs as bureaucratic overhead.

No on Proposition 56
No on Proposition 56 Facebook

No on Proposition 56 Twitter

Polling

Visit IGS Poll for ballot measure polling from the Institute of Governmental Studies, UC Berkeley, in partnership with The Field Poll.

Visit Ballotpedia for summary data from recent polls and links to the complete published polls.

Voter Resources