Member LoginSQ 814 will be on the November 3rd ballot. If passed, it would switch the deposit percentages of the Master Settlement agreement (MSA) so that 25% would go towards the TSET fund and 75% would be subject to appropriation by the legislature to draw down federal matching funds for Oklahoma’s Medicaid program, while maintaining the corpus. Currently, 75% is toward TSET and 25% is subject to appropriation by the legislature.
In other states that received tobacco settlements, the legislatures immediately appropriated the funds to augment the states’ budgets, and now the money is gone. The majority of TSET funds are currently protected from the legislature. Dr. Bob McCaffree, MD, who was involved with the development of TSET, calls it the most successful public health program that Oklahoma has ever designed.
We are asking you to oppose SQ 814 to protect the funding for tobacco prevention programs, cancer research and other initiatives to improve Oklahomans’ health, including the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline and prevention efforts at the Stephenson Cancer Center.
Lawmakers are required to fund Medicaid expansion after voters approved SQ 802 this summer. Estimates indicate the expansion will cost the state about $164 million annually. Even if SQ 814 passes, legislators will have to tap multiple revenue sources to cover the costs. Please vote No on SQ 814.
