California Voters Reject $1 Tax Hike on Cigarettes — Proposition 29 Goes Down, 50.8 to 49.2 Percent

Only 25 percent of precincts were tallied when I posted last night, and apparently those didn't include some from the more anti-tax regions in the state.

The tide shifted the other way in what was definitely a squeaker.

See the Orange County Register, "Prop. 29 tobacco tax loses; Prop. 28 term limits passing."

A ballot measureto raise cigarette taxes by $1 narrowly lost with 50.8% of voters statewide voting no with all precincts reporting Wednesday. A second measure to change Legislative term limits won handily with 61.4% approval.

Proposition 28 will amend term limits by cutting the total number of years politicians spend in Sacramento while increasing the amount of time they may serve in either the state Assembly or state Senate.

Proposition 29 would increase the state tax on cigarettes by $1 to raise money for cancer research and anti-smoking programs. That race was flooded with millions of dollars from tobacco companies hoping to defeat the measure while avoiding the topic of smoking.

Proposition 28 was proposed by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and found support among Republicans and Democrats. It sought to bring more continuity to Sacramento by amending legislative term limits, which currently allow lawmakers to serve six years in the Assembly and eight in the Senate for a total of 14 years.

I voted no on Prop. 28 as well.

Legislative term limits have been a disaster for California, and I doubt the new initiative will make much of a difference. (The move to a possible 12 years in one chamber might be good, but I favor abolishing term limits for the legislature altogether --- this initiative won't reduce the role of special interest lobbying, which has always been one of the main arguments for the measures. And we'll still see legislators using their seats as stepping stones to higher office or fatter paychecks outside of government. But check back with me in 12 years and we'll return to the topic. I'll bet voter frustration will be just as high as today, especially if the Democrats remain in power, beholden to unions. That said, perhaps a change is coming, and it wouldn't be too soon. See Glenn Reynolds for more on that, "SAN DIEGO PASSES PENSION REFORM by a wide margin.")