State Question 814 needs to pass! Twenty years ago voters were asked to approve the creation of a state fund to handle proceeds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco companies and 46 states. Oklahoma was one of the 46 states. Voters did approve the question and the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) was born. After 20 years it's time to have another look at TSET.
Why?
Because TSET, which was crafted by the state's political class in 2000, is a Boondoggle, a waste, a Big Smoked Pig! You have seen TSET's handy work while driving down the highway. Those billboards telling you that water hydrates! That's TSET. When you see or hear those commercials telling you that you should move around more, or that secondhand smoke is awful! Worse than COVID! That's TSET.
But that's not all of what TSET does, of its almost 2 Billions in the bank TSET also funds bike paths, it gives monies to municipalities if those municipalities ban tobacco on city properties. TSET has funded programming on the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) public television. In 2015 TSET even funded a thirty minute documentary which aired on OETA in January about how great TSET is.
So what does TSET not fund? Healthcare! Yes, healthcare! You see, the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement was created because 46 states, including Oklahoma, sued the large tobacco companies because the states were taking care of people who had become ill from smoking. The money generated from that 1998 MSA was supposed to reimburse the states for their costs in caring for people with smoking related illnesses. TSET should pay for healthcare right now, but it doesn't. But there's a solution if you vote for State Question 814.
State Question 814 reads:
This measure seeks to amend Article 10, Section 40 of the Oklahoma Constitution (Section 40), which directs proceeds from the State's settlements with or judgments against tobacco companies. Currently, Section 40 directs 75% of proceeds to the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund (TSET Fund), where earnings may only be used for tobacco prevention programs, cancer research, and other such programs to maintain or improve the health of Oklahomans. Meanwhile, the remaining 25% of proceeds are directed to a separate fund for the Legislature (Legislative Fund). The Legislature can also direct some of that 25% to the Attorney General.
This measure amends Section 40 to reduce the percentage of proceeds that go into the TSET Fund from 75% to 25%. As a result, the remaining 75% will go to the Legislative Fund and the Legislature may continue to direct a portion to the Attorney General. The measure would also restrict the use of the Legislative Fund. Section 40 currently states only that the Legislative Fund is subject to legislative appropriation. If this measure passes, money from the Legislative Fund must be used to get federal matching funds for Oklahoma's Medicaid Program.
Earlier this year, voters approved an expansion of Medicaid. The state is now on the hook for hundreds of millions because more people will be able to take advantage of Medicaid. Where are we going to get the funds to pay for it? One place needs to be TSET.
Please vote YES on S.Q. 814 because right now TSET pays for this:
But not this:
