JONES BLASTS JAY NIXON OVER TOBACCO SETTLEMENT

Taxpayers should get the biggest share of the $6.7 billion that Missouri stands to receive from the tobacco settlement, Republican attorney general candidate Sam Jones said Tuesday.

Jones, who wants Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's job, officially kicked off his campaign with press conferences around the state.

Jones visited Cape Girardeau at 5 p.m., stopping to speak to a newspaper reporter at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. There were no Republican dignitaries on hand to greet him in the largely empty terminal.

He was scheduled to finish the day with a rally in his hometown of Mount Vernon.

Jones said the only rationale for the tobacco settlement is that Missouri citizens have been taxed to pay for tobacco-related medical care and social costs. "I think it would be difficult justifying not refunding a substantial portion to taxpayers."Jones, who previously has held jobs as prosecutor, tax commissioner and associate circuit judge, criticized Nixon's handling of the tobacco settlement.

Nixon shouldn't have hired private lawyers to handle the case, Jones said. The attorney general and his staff should have done it, the Republican candidate said.

Jones said he believes public discussion of the issue likely will lead to the private lawyers receiving lower fees than they otherwise would have.

The public is entitled to know how much money goes to the private lawyers, Jones said, because the lawyers were acting on behalf of the state.

Any payments to the lawyers should first require approval of the state Legislature, just like a regular appropriation measure, Jones said.

Jones has been running for office since July. He said the first few months have been spent talking to Republican gatherings. "We have been preaching to the choir."Jones said his goal was to discourage other Republicans from entering the race and make it easier to raise funds early on. Jones said the effort has been successful.

At this stage, he is the only GOP candidate running for attorney general.

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, had considered running for attorney general. Today, he is looking to run for re-election to the state Senate.

Jones said he isn't seeking the office of attorney general as "a staging area for a campaign for governor, senator or any other office."Missouri's Democratic governor and his allies have consistently understated the amount of excess tax collections which should be returned to the people under the Hancock Amendment.

If elected attorney general, Jones said he would fight to see that taxpayers get prompt refunds and that excuses aren't made to keep the money in Jefferson City.