HB 20-1427 (Caraveo & McCluskie/Fileds & Moreno) Cigarette Tobacco And Nicotine Products Tax to Support Health and Early Childhood Education Programs
Summary
This bill refers a measure to voters on this year’s November ballot that would raise taxes on cigarettes, tobacco and, for the first time, apply a tax on nicotine vaping products. In the first two and a half years, the resulting revenue would provide relief to state budget cuts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including investments in rural schools and the State Education Fund. After that initial period, the revenue would be devoted to nicotine education and cessation programs and toward giving every child in Colorado access to early childhood education. From year one forward, funding would also be provided to existing recipients of Amendment 35 revenue to offset decreased revenue the results from the new tax.
Please take action to support this bill during the last days of session!
Position
The Children’s Campaign strongly supports this bill. This bill will:
- Offer additional preschool programming to children from families with low incomes and to children at-risk of entering kindergarten with low levels of school readiness. This will allow targeted resources to children who benefit most from high quality early childhood education. Ensure that the dollars are flexible, allow for parental choice, support mixed delivery of services in school-based and community-based settings, and provide assurance that programs meet quality and program standards
- Support investments that allow for successful expansion of preschool, such as recruiting and training early childhood education professionals and parent and family outreach
- Improve public health: The measure would also have substantial impact on Colorado’s highest in the nation rate of youth vaping by putting the price of vaping and tobacco products out of reach. In Colorado, 5,100 people die each year from smoking, and 91,000 kids under 18 right now will eventually die from smoking. Colorado also has the nation’s highest rate of nicotine vaping among youth, with over 27% of high school students using e-cigarettes.
Current Status
The bill passed House Finance 6-5, and House Appropriations 6-5, and Second Reading in the House as of June 11th. The bill needs a final vote in the House before moving to the Senate. Bill Jaeger, our Vice President of Early Childhood and Policy Initiatives, testified in support.
