Proposed tobacco-tax hike goes to Missouri Supreme Court

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A lawyer for a proposed cigarette-tax hike to benefit early-childhood programs told Missouri Supreme Court judges Thursday knocking it off the ballot would "eradicate" supporters' constitutional right to use the state's initiative-petition process.

Lawyers trying to get the measure off the ballot argued language used to describe the measure to petition signers was misleading.

But lawyer Jane Dueker, who represents the group Raise Your Hand for Kids that's pushing the cigarette-tax hike, said voters at the polls Nov. 8 will see revised language. She told judges tossing out signatures gathered with the earlier summary "basically eradicates the proponents' rights completely."

Arguments in the state's high court are the latest in an ongoing fight between supporters of a proposed 60-cent-per-pack, phased-in tax increase, primarily backed by big tobacco and Raise Your Hand for Kids, and advocates of an increase of 23 cents per pack for highways that's backed by little tobacco.

Both proposals are on the November ballot, but those opposed to the higher increase went to court to get it knocked off.