Proposition 56 is a
California ballot proposition
In California, a ballot proposition is a referendum or an initiative measure that is submitted to the electorate for a direct decision or direct vote (or plebiscite). If passed, it can alter one or more of the articles of the Constitution of Cal ...
that passed on the November 8, 2016 ballot. It increased the
cigarette tax
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the oppo ...
by $2.00 per pack, effective April 1, 2017, with equivalent increases on other
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
products and
electronic cigarette
An electronic cigarette is an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such ...
s containing nicotine. The bulk of new revenue is earmarked for
Medi-Cal The California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal or MediCal) is California's Medicaid program serving low-income individuals, including families, seniors, persons with disabilities, children in foster care, pregnant women, and childless adults wi ...
.
A September 2016 poll by the
Public Policy Institute of California
The Public Policy Institute of California is an independent, non-profit research institution. Based in San Francisco, California, the institute was established in 1994 by Bill Hewlett, of Hewlett-Packard, Roger Heyns, and Arjay Miller, with a $70 ...
showed that 59% of likely voters supported Proposition 56, 36% opposed it, and 5% did not know how they would vote. A September 2016 poll from
USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
Dornsife /
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
showed 63% percent of registered voters in favor of Proposition 56, 32% opposed, and 6% unknown.
Proposition 56 was approved with 64% of the vote.
Two previous attempts to increase the state cigarette tax narrowly failed with
Proposition 86 in 2006 and
Proposition 29
Proposition 29, the California Cancer Research Act, is a California ballot measure that was defeated by California voters at the statewide election on June 5, 2012.
The measure would have placed a $1 excise on tobacco products into a protecte ...
in 2012. Proposition 56 was the first increase in the state cigarette tax since
Proposition 10 in 1998. With the passage of Prop. 56, California's cigarette tax increased from $0.87 per pack to $2.87, increasing its rank from 35th-highest in the country to ninth-highest.
See also
*
California Proposition 99 (1988)
*
California Proposition 10 (1998)
*
Cigarette taxes in the United States
In the United States, cigarettes are taxed at both the federal and state levels, in addition to any state and local sales taxes and local cigarette-specific taxes. Cigarette taxation has appeared throughout American history and is still a contes ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Yes on 56
2016 California ballot propositions
Taxation in California
Tobacco taxation
Tobacco control
Smoking in the United States