Scarcnet News Summaries (Advocacy Institute)
BATtle Over Ma Tax Fuels Pre-election Controversy
Length: pages
Abstract
A Massachusetts bill that would raise the cigarette tax by 25 cents per pack to fund health insurance for children and the elderly has spurred heated debate. Governor William F. Weld (R) first vowed to veto the bill, which has been passed by both the state House and Senate. Senator John F. Kerry (D), Weld's opponent in the upcoming U.S. Senate race, accused Weld of cooperating with the tobacco industry, stating, "You're either on the side of kids or you're on the side of the tobacco companies. . . . He [Weld] thinks it's OK to have the tobacco lobby on his team." A spokesman for Weld said, "We do not accept contributions from tobacco interests. We have a screen for them but every so often one may skip through that we're not aware of." Subsequent news articles pointed to Kerry's acceptance of some tobacco contributions, as well as donations made to Weld from a former Philip Morris senior vice- president, and a fund-raising event, where Weld was the guest of honor, at the home of R.J. Reynolds heir C. Boyden Gray.
The tobacco industry launched a campaign to influence legislators to vote against the initiative, using phone banks to generate 50 to 60 calls to senators a day. Tobacco firms hired some of the state's most influential lobbyists for the campaign.
Though Weld originally said he would try to block the tax plan by delaying his veto, he later conceded, saying he would veto the bill in time for the Legislature to override the veto. Weld backed off from his earlier position after business interests urged him not to impede the bill's passage; one clause in the health care bill would repeal the employer mandate to buy health insurance.
Sources: Meg Vaillancourt, "Pushed By Firms, Weld Yielding On Health Bill," BOSTON GLOBE, July 10, 1996, p.1; "A Healthy Understanding," BOSTON GLOBE, July 11, 1996, p. 12; Joe Battenfeld, "Weld Veto Delay On Kids' Health Care Could Kill Bill," BOSTON HERALD, July 9, 1996; Richard A. Knox and Frank Phillips, "Weld, Tobacco Firms Turn Up Heat to Defeat Health Bill," BOSTON GLOBE, June 25, 1996, p. 19; Joe Sciacca, "Tobacco Lobbyists Gave $$ to Kerry," BOSTON HERALD, June 27, 1996, p. 12; Connie Paige, "Kerry Hits Weld Refusal To Increase Cigarette Tax," BOSTON HERALD, June 26, 1996, p. 10. (sdb 7/17/96)