The California Fair Coalition, a recently formed "manufacturer-sponsored" group, is seeking a referendum to overturn laws banning flavored tobacco and nicotine products.
It is reported that the group has managed to collect and submit more than a million petitions signed by someone 793 proposed by Senator Jerry Hill to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products (including menthol and menthol) throughout the state. The measure was strongly opposed by the tobacco industry and retailers in the final days of the 2019-20 legislative session, but was finally signed into law last August by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The group, funded by R.J Reynolds, Philip Morris USA and ITG Brands and said to be made up of a group of big tobacco companies and small retailers, has filed papers with the Secretary of State to start the referendum process. The coalition needs 623,212 signatures to qualify for the ballot, and if enough evidence is collected, the spiced tobacco ban will be put on hold until voters have a chance to vote again, probably in 2022.
Pay for signature
To the shock of many, the coalition claims to pay professional signature-gatherers more than $10, and now reports say the group has successfully collected and submitted more than a million petition signatures. "The law is excessive and unfair. "Especially since lawmakers exempted hookah, expensive cigar and tobacco with a pipe," said Beth Miller, spokeswoman for the California Fair Coalition.
"It will hurt small businesses and take jobs away from licensed retailers that sell tobacco products," while still allowing online sales, Miller said. "If the past is any indication, it will also lead to the emergence of an underground market that will increase access for minors."
Senator Hill said the coalition's arguments were absurd. "Our goal is to prevent kids from starting to smoke," Hill said. "What 15-year-old buys a $12.50 cigar or pipe? It's ridiculous."
The California Fair Alliance believes SB793 will be struck down
The California Equity Coalition, meanwhile, says it is confident it will reach that number after counties verify signatures this month. "In an unprecedented pandemics, raging wildfires, heat waves, and the state power cases, more than 1 million californians have signed a petition, demanding has the right to a beneficial to the rich and the unfair law of special interest groups giving their views, but also leads to unemployment and cuts in education and health care funds, guy said.