GOVERNOR BULLOCK STANDS UP TO BIG TOBACCO: “STOP SPENDING MILLIONS MISLEADING MONTANANS”
Governor Steve Bullock released a new video today in support of the Healthy Montana Initiative, I-185, and rallying Montanans to hold big tobacco accountable for the skyrocketing health care costs caused by their products.
Tobacco use costs Montanans $440 million a year in health care costs.
ü Every Montana household now pays nearly $779 extra in taxes annually to help cover the cost of smoking.
ü In addition, smoking costs Montana businesses $368.9 million annually in lost productivity.
ü I-185 will save Montana taxpayers $385 million in health care costs.
“Montanans have a long history of standing up to big out of state corporations trying to influence our elections. The debate over I-185 boils down to three simple facts: Big Tobacco kills, Medicaid saves lives and I-185 will save taxpayers millions in health care costs. The only losers in this equation are the tobacco corporations that are worried about their profits,” said Governor Steve Bullock.
The multinational tobacco corporations bankrolling the opposition to I-185 have poured more than $9 million into Montana running a campaign designed to deceive voters in order to protect tobacco profits. The parent companies of RJ Reynolds and Philip Morris have been found by the Commissioner of Political Practices to be in violation of Montana campaign finance laws in their opposition efforts to I-185.
The Governor’s Office of Budget and Program Planning fiscal note on I-185 shows:
ü I-185 pays for itself
ü Tobacco corporations stand to lose millions in profits. A 10 percent increase in a tobacco tax is anticipated to result in a 6 percent decrease in tobacco product purchases.
View the new I-185 video HERE.
Text of video
Governor Bullock:
Big tobacco corporations are spending millions of out-of-state dollars misleading Montanans about efforts to protect our health care.
Here’s the truth.
The I-185 ballot initiative fully funds health care for 100,000 of our fellow Montanans.
It provides services to seniors and veterans that they’ve earned and deserve, and it saves Montana taxpayers money.
It’s time to hold big tobacco accountable.
Join me in voting yes on I-185.
It’s the right thing to do.
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