Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange

Is Missouri Spending Tobacco Funds Correctly?

Missouri received an additional $156 million from its share of the 1998 tobacco settlement, but some question how the Show-Me State is spending those funds.

A two-year old lawsuit is pending in the state Appeals Court to force Missouri lawmakers to use settlement funds for cessation and prevention, instead of plugging it wherever they want to in the budget.

There are other legal concerns about the way Missouri is handling the funds. According to The Associated Press:

States that accepted the tobacco settlement also approved new laws to implement the agreement. One of those provisions set up an escrow fund and required tobacco companies that didn't join the settlement to pay into it to cover any future lawsuit judgments. The money from the escrow accounts would be returned after 25 years.

Besides covering the damages from potential lawsuits, the escrow is designed to prevent smaller tobacco companies that didn't participate in the agreement from dropping prices to undercut those that did.

Missouri is facing national arbitration over whether it has diligently enforced its laws, and the attorney general's office anticipates similar challenges annually. Attorney General Chris Koster said that unlike every other state, Missouri has not passed additional laws to help enforce the escrow.

Read The Associated Press story, "Mo. receives $156M payment from tobacco settlement"

Tobacco Legislation in 2009

With the Democrats soon to be in full power, tobacco is fast becoming an issue in Missouri and in the federal government. In the left navigation bar, you will find state and federal bills already filed for 2009.

These widgets - a free service of StateSurge.com - automatically update anytime action is taken.

Read about these bills. Know these bills. See how this legislation will work into your media and marketing plans this year. If you would like a similar widget for our own blog or Web site, visit http://www.statesurge.com/stateboard/

Mo Gets $146M in Tobacco Settlement Funds

Missouri collected another $146.1 million from Big Tobacco as part of a 1998 nationwide settlement. That brings Missouri's total in tobacco funds to $1.4 billion. The Missouri Attorney General's Office has the details.

So far, Missouri has spent a fraction of funds on smoking cessation efforts. In fact, the state ranks No. 50 in the U.S. and Washington D.C. in monies spent on cessation programs.

MO Health Insurance Could be Funded with Tobacco Settlement

Missouri lawmakers are finally moving to allocate tobacco settlement funds. According to this story from the Columbia Missourian, legislators want to use some of the settlement to fund Insure Missouri, which would increase the number of Missourians eligible for state health insurance.

Read more about the proposed legislation. 

Mo Tobacco Settlement Last Five Years

In 2002, the Kansas City Star urged Missouri lawmakers to include $22 million for tobacco cessation programs, as recommended by then governor Bob Holden. It was a way to use funds from the national tobacco settlement for tobacco prevention. Lawmakers then were fighting the recommendation, and according to the editorial, some wanted to sell off payments to get a lump sum. That sum could then be used for anything - with no restrictions to anti-tobacco programs.

Fast-forward five years later. Missouri bottoms the list of states to fund tobacco prevention programs, ranking No. 50 out of 51. And while lawmakers say they plan to increase spending, it will fall far short of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

More Money for MO Tobacco Cessation Programs

Governor Matt Blunt wants to spend nearly $9 million to start a Medicaid smoking cessation program. Missourians who receive Medicaid can get help and treatments if they want to quit. Blunt also plans to allocate $1 million for the state's Tobacco Quitline and $2 million for programs that target youth.

Of Missouri's more than one billion dollar settlement with big tobacco seven years ago, lawmakers have so far only spent 200 thousand to fund anti-smoking programs.

Visit the Kansas City Star's Web site for more details.