MULTINATIONAL TOBACCO GIANTS DUMP MORE THAN $12.4 MILLION INTO MONTANA TO TAKE AWAY HEALTH CARE FROM 100,000 MONTANANS
Philip Morris Parent Company Showers Montana With Historic Out-of-State Corporate Money to Oppose I-185
(Helena, Mont.) –Altria, the multinational parent corporation of Philip Morris Tobacco, has flooded Montana with more than $12 million in campaign funding to oppose I-185, according to the latest campaign finance report. I-185 would raise the state tobacco tax to keep 100,000 Montanans including thousands of veterans and their families from losing access to their current healthcare. Two tobacco corporations, Altria and RAI, have now effectively broken the record of what has been spent on an initiative by a committee in Montana.
To date, Montanans Against Tax Hikes which is funded entirely by tobacco corporations, received two new contributions in the current reporting period both from Altria (Philip Morris) bringing the total Big Tobacco spending to more than $12.4 million.
Montanans Against Tax Hikes Campaign Finance Report
- Altria – an additional $3.5 million loan
- Altria – an additional $74,217 in in-kind contributions
That brings Altria’s TOTAL contributions to $12.1 million (12,135,889.32). RAI (R.J. Reynolds) has contributed significantly to MATH but did not report any contributions in the latest period. RAI contributed $267,148 to MATH thus far bringing the total amount of Big Tobacco contributions to $12.4 million.
The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) has found these two multi-billionaire out of state tobacco corporations in violation of Montana campaign finance laws as part of their massive campaign in opposition to I-185.
“This is not how democracy is supposed to work – Big Tobacco has now spent more money on opposing I-185 than any other citizens’ initiative has faced in Montana history, all to protect profits.Montanans are fed up with the lies big tobacco is telling, especially about the funding. The funding raised by this initiative is the funding needed, end of story,” said Amanda Cahill, American Heart Association. “With I-185, the citizens of Montana have the opportunity to say that we’re tired of picking up the tab for big tobacco’s impact on rising healthcare costs. First Big Tobacco lied to generations about the health effects of their deadly products, and now they are spending an inordinate amount of outside money lying about I-185 to protect their profits at the expense of the health care of 100,000 Montanans. If you see opposition messages to I-185, follow the money directly to the world’s largest tobacco corporations.”
I-185 is supported by the Billings, Bozeman, Helena, Great Falls, Kalispell and Whitefish Chambers of Commerce, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, Montana Hospital Association, family doctors and school nurses throughout the state. With revenue from the increased tobacco tax and state savings from Medicaid expansion, I-185 fully pays for itself.
Tobacco use costs Montanans $440 million a year in health care costs.
- Every Montana household now pays nearly $779 extra in taxes annually to help cover the cost of smoking.
- In addition, smoking costs Montana businesses $368.9 million annually in lost productivity.
- I-185 will save Montana taxpayers $365 million in health care costs.
Increasing the state cigarette tax by $2 per pack will:
- decrease youth smoking rates by 20.6 percent;
- prevent 8,000 Montana kids from becoming adult smokers; and
- help 9,300 adults quit smoking.
A recent Bureau of Business and Economic Research economic analysis of Medicaid expansion in Montana shows it has infused more than $500 million into Montana’s economy while reducing state spending to the tune of more than $40 million to date. The report details very clearly that Medicaid expansion in Montana has:
- Reduced medical debts
- Prevented bankruptcies
- Improved credit scores among working families
Fewer Montanans are going into bankruptcy because of a medical emergency and are able to continue working thanks to Medicaid expansion.
Learn more about I-185 at www.healthymontana.org.
# # #