State and Local Strategies of the Tobacco Industry
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM IN MINNESOTA
Abstract
Discusses efforts to defeat a "Constitutional amendment for initiative and Referendum on the state ballot for the November 4, 1980 elections." Informs that "William Brooks of the well respected Minneapolis law firm Chestnut and Brooks and one of the principal state lobbyists in Minnesota has mounted a campaign to defeat the proposed amendment." Lists interest groups opposing "I&R" [Initiative & Referendum], including voter organizations, labor unions, and citizens' groups. Reviews plans for campaign to "capitalize upon this impressive array of opponent organizations" to assure that the members of the organizations "then vote accordingly." Includes means and amounts of financing for campaign.
Fields
- Named Person
- BROOKS,WF JR
- CLEMENTS
- MONDALE,F
- QUIE
- CLEMENTS
- Named Organization
- AFL CIO STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR
- AMERICAN PETROLEUM INST
- CHESTNUT + BROOKS
- CITIZENS LEAGUE
- DEMOCRATIC FARMER LABOR PARTY
- JOINT RELIGIOUS LOBBY
- LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
- MID CONTINENT SURVEYS
- MINNEAPOLIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
- MINNEAPOLIS STAR + TRIBUNE
- MN ASSN OF COMMERCE + INDUSTRY
- MN CITIZENS CONCERNED FOR LIFE
- MN EDUCATION ASSN
- PIONEER PRESS
- ST PAUL DISPATCH
- TX LEGISLATURE
- UNITED AUTO WORKERS
- URBAN COALITION
- AMERICAN PETROLEUM INST
- Copied
- STEVENS,AJ
- Author
- HALEY,MR
- MARTIN HALEY
- Region
- MINNESOTA
- Recipient
- AINSWORTH,G
- CHERRY,JR
- WYATT,W JR
- Scott, S. Stanley (VP & Director, PM Corporate Affairs in 1985)
S.S. Scott served as a Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs for Philip Morris, Inc. in 1985. (Source: Philip Morris Summary - PMI Liability Notebook) - CHERRY,JR
- Subject
- Campaign Contributions
- Constitutional Amendments
- Industry Front Groups
- Industry Strategies
- Labor Unions
- Law Firms
- lobbying
- Political Expenditures
- Referendums
- State Level
- Advocacy Groups
- Constitutional Amendments
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SEiREGO, s.r.l.
Martin Ryan Haley 8 Assoclates, s.a.
New York 10019
August 25, 1980
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mr. Gene Ainsworth
Mr. James Cherry
Mr. Stanley S. Scott
Mr. Wilson Wyatt, Jr.
FROM: Martin R. Haley
RE: Initiative and Referendum in Minnesota
~ - /~'l i.~ .
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide background and detail
to supplement my comments in our recent conversations.
(1) The Situation
After all I have said and written on the subject of I&R,
I will spare you my views except a brief reiteration that I
believe this trend in the states is a monstrous perversion
of representative government and one which is laden with
particular dangers to the tobacco industry.
An evolving situation in Minnesota provides opportunity
for some innovative government relations thinking and
action which can have a direct practical effect, as well as
substantial future national political benefit for this
industry.
In the most recent session of the Minnesota legislature,
Governor Quie asked the legislature to put a Constitutional
amendment for Initiative and Referendum on the state
ballot for the November 4, 1980 elections. Governor Quie
was a generally sound liberal Republican member of Congress
and before that a veteran state legislator. His championing
of I&R seems to spring from some kind of modern Republican

Pa e 2
populism of the type which apparently has affected Governor
Clements of Texas as well. After a struggle, the legislature
acquiesced and this amendment will be on the ballot on
November 4.
(2) The Attempt to Defeat It
William Brooks of the well-respected Minneapolis law firm of
Chestnut and Brooks and one of the principal state lobbyists
in Minnesota has mounted a campaign to defeat the proposed
amendment. He has organized a campaign which I will describe
below and has the assistance of several respected lobbyists
and political advisors drawn from both parties. Bill Brooks
himself is originally from New York City, was well established
as a journalist with the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, then
became a lawyer, then Assistant Attorney General when Fritz
Mondale was Attorney General, and then helped organize and
build the firm which today is Chestnut and Brooks. For the
record, his full name, address and telephone are: William
F. Brooks, Jr., Chestnut and Brooks, Suite 900, Midland
Bank Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401, telephone
612/339-7300.
(3) Interest Groups Opposing I&R
Bill Brooks and those working with him have done a surprising
and superb job of developing interest group opposition to I&R.
What they have done shows that it is entirely possible to
attack this malignancy if it is done aggressively and intellectually.
Here are the Minnesota organizations which have so far taken
formal positions in opposition to I&R :
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry
The AFL-CIO State Federation of Labor
The League of Women Voters
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life
The Urban Coalition
The Citizens' League
The Joint Religious Lobby
The Minnesota Education Association
The United Auto Workers
The Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce
And, every daily newspaper in the state
except the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press

Pa e 3
In addition, strong opposition to I&R is growing among the
agricultural organizations.
What this list demonstrates is that I&R can be defeated if
strong and persuasive leaders go to work on it, documenting
intellectually all that is wrong with it and the inherent
dangers which are otherwise glossed over by emotionalism.
(4) The Problem
Now a campaign must be mounted to capitalize upon this
impressive array of opponent organizations because it is one
thing to obtain the endorsement of the position and, as you
know, quite another thing to be certain that the organizations'
opposition is understood by all members, that the message
filters down through the echelons, and that people then vote
accordin gly .
As a first step, Bill Brooks commissioned A1id-Continent
Surveys to do a demographically balanced first wave opinion
study with lengthy interviews of eight persons in each of
twelve precincts for a total of ninety-six likely voters. A1id-
Contiment is a highly competent survey organization and such
a relatively small sample is large enough for a first run at
public opinion.
I attach the preliminary print of the survey response, dated
August 6. Only eight percent of those polled had heard any-
thing about I&R as a state Constitutional amendment on the
November ballot. It is obvious that the organizational positions
must be publicized and citizen opposition must be developed.
A second wave poll has just been conducted with, I believe,
some two hundred interviews. The computer work on these
responses is now being done and should be available about
September 8.
(5) The Campaign
The effort to finance the campaign is now under way. About
$9, 000 is needed now to complete payment for the two public
opinion surveys.
Bill Brooks has gotten an opinion holding that the cost of
the polling is not reportable under Minnesota law but the
cost of polling analysis, the smallest part of the expense,
is reportable. The reasoning is that the active polling is the

Page 4
gathering of research whereas its analysis is then for a
political purpose. Corporations are allowed to contribute under
Minnesota law.
Brooks has had his writer prepare the first brochure against
I&R and this is being published as an official League of Women
Voters publication and the first 200,000 copies will be used
at the Minnesota State Fair in the closing days of August.
Under the Minnesota Constitution, the amendment requires an
affirmative vote by fifty percent of all those who vote on
November 4. This again increases the chance to defeat the
amendment because the vote will be quite large and voters
must actually vote in favor of it for it to pass.
The total campaign is estimated at only $200, 000 to $250, 000
which is unusually low for a state where most statewide
campaigns should come in at around the $1 million mark. The
budget is low because the campaign should be principally a
public information and public relations campaign, based on the
impressive array of organizations in opposition. The League
of Women Voters will sponsor forums around the state and
these and other events will provide thebase for an effort which
is essentially one of publicity. Also included in the budget
is $75,000 for a last minute media effort. It is felt this will
be sufficient to finish the job.
(6) Local Contributions
The business community in Minnesota is firmly opposed to
I&R but very cautious about being identified as opponents.
Some contributions will come from corporations and others
will come in the form of contributions to organizations such
as the League of Women Voters. Organized labor is equally
opposed but their contributions are apt to be relatively low
also because they are concentrating their money on candidate
campaigns.
(7) The Need
Of national industry groups, so far the American Petroleum
Institute has declared a willingness to contribute, probably
in the area of about ten percent of the overall budget.
It is my recommendation that the tobacco companies give
serious consideration to helping in this campaign because
it is an opportunity to begin turning the tide, probably for
the first time in the history of the growth of I&R in the
United States.

Page 5
(8) The Benefits
(a) Minnesota is one of the five or six bellwether states
in the country. What is done there will have an
effect nationwide and will begin some serious thinking
about the evils of I&R.
(b) If I&R can be defeated in Minnesota, a state noted for
the liberalism of both its Republican and Democratic
parties, the defeat will provide powerful ammunition
for resisting I&R measures in the legislatures which
meet beginning in January. So far, there is some form
of I&R in 27 states. There is still time to resist this
trend and begin deflecting it in the remaining 23 states,
as has been done successfully so far in the Texas
legislature.
(c) It is premature to raise this point, but if this job can
be done, it could provide the base for a national effort
to begin reversing the trend toward I&R.
Obviously, this campaign needs financial aid. No one involved in leading
it is receiving any personal remuneration from the campaign. Some
contributions will be essential now to complete the polling and printing.
Further contributions will be needed later and, even though these are
reportable, it should be pointed out that those made toward the end of
the campaign will not be subject to release and publicity until January 15,
1981.
In terms of the tobacco industry, while we have many grave political
challenges, I would be hard pressed to cite one which is more important
than I&R over the longer term. Here we have an opportunity, as I said
at the outset of this memorandum, for innovative and positive government
relation s action.
Very best regards.
MRH /pc
cc: Mr. Arthur Stevens
:~:x,
