Proposition 56

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

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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%]

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.
 
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

Official California Documents

Voter Information Guide 

Campaign Finance Information

Voter's Edge Campaign Contributions
Total money raised, size of contributions, top contributors.

Power Search
Access and download data from the Secretary of State's CAL-ACCESS system.

Nonpartisan Analysis

Ballotpedia

Voter's Edge

KCET Props in a Minute videos

Video Voter - A Guide to California’s Ballot Measures. Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College

Proposition 56: Should California Voters Increase the State Excise Tax on Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products? California Budget & Policy Center, Oct. 13, 2016.

Project for an Informed Electorate Initiative Explainer videos, California State University, Sacramento

Multimedia
Supporters
Yes on 56 - Save Lives CA
Yes on 56 - Save Lives CA
Non-Partisan
KCET Props in a Minute: Prop 56 - Cigarette Tax
KCET Props in a Minute: Prop 56 - Cigarette Tax
Sacramento State - Project for an Informed Electorate - Prop 56
Sacramento State - Project for an Informed Electorate - Prop 56
Claremont McKenna College Video Voter - Prop. 56: Tobacco Tax
Claremont McKenna College Video Voter - Prop. 56: Tobacco Tax
Opponents
 No on Prop 56
No on Prop 56
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