Health care groups form coalition to oppose SQ 814

Several care groups have united to oppose a state question that would allow Oklahoma legislators to tap a greater portion of the state' s Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.

The American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco- Free Kids, American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network recently formed the No on 814 — Campaign for a Healthier Oklahoma to oppose State

Question 814.

A spokesman for the group declined to give specific son the campaign' s strategy and spending plans.

“We're going to do all of the traditional campaign stuff that you would expect,” said Matt Glanville, Oklahoma government relations director for the Cancer Action Network.

SQ 814 s eeks voters' permission to reduce from 75% to 25% the amount of settlement funds going to TSET.

The trust currently receives 75% of the state's annual payment from the 1998 master settlement agreement with tobacco companies. The remaining 25% goes to the Oklahoma Legislature and the attorney general's office.

If passed, the percentages would be swapped and the Legislature would use the additional funds to cover Medicaid costs, namely those associated with Medicaid expansion.

Noon 814 aims to protect Oklahoma' s investment in tobacco prevention and cessation efforts, Glanville said.

TSET uses the interest earnings off the $1.3 billion to fund tobacco prevention programs, cancer research and other initiatives to improve Oklahomans' health.

TSET is responsible for t he Oklahoma Tobacco Help line, helping to reduce the state' s smoking rate and accelerate cancer treatment sand prevention efforts at the University of Oklahoma Stephen son Cancer Center, Glanville said.

“Voters must reject State Question 814 to protect not only the innovative cancer research happening in our state, but our youngest generation ,” he said .“Big Tobacco spends over $170 million a year marketing their addictive products in Oklahoma. This is the wrong time to divest in the fight against their deadly products.”

Lawmakers are required to fund Medicaid expansion after voters approved State Question 802 this summer. Estimates indicate the expansion will cost the state about $164 million annually. Even if SQ 814 passes, legislators will have to tap multiple revenue sources to cover the costs.

Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, who introduced the legislation to ask voters to revamp TSET funding, said the measure will help the state fund Medicaid expansion without having to cut elsewhere.

“State Question 814 addresses a way to help fund the Medicaid expansion program, and to fund it in a way that I believe is a win for the people in the state of Oklahoma,” she said at a recent forum.

Gov. Kevin St it ta nd Republican legislative leaders appear averse to raising taxes to fund the expansion.

But legislators can find other ways to pay for the expansion rather than diverting TSET funds, Glanville said.

For more information about the No on 814 campaign, visit 814isnotok. org.