GET THE FACTS

Measure 50: Know the Facts
Click here for the full text of the measure.

We all pay the price of tobacco use. The Healthy Kids Initiative is a fair and accountable way to finally provide our kids the health coverage they need, prevent them from ever starting to smoke, and protect all of us from the dangers of tobacco use.


Measure 50 Funds Health Care
Over 70% of the new cigarette tax revenue goes to fund the Healthy Kids Program.
The rest of the money goes to other important health care programs, including child health clinics, tobacco prevention and education, and Oregon Health Plan coverage for 10,000 low-income adults. Here’s a breakdown of how the revenue will be spent:

• Healthy Kids: 72.3%
• Tobacco Prevention and Education: 4.9%
• Kids Safety Net Clinics: 3%
• Oregon Health Plan: 18.5%
• Rural Health: 1.2%

Source: Legislative Fiscal Office. (June 13, 2007). Revenue Impact Statement


Measure 50 Revenue is Protected and Accountable
Healthy Kids has strong accountability including independent audits and public reporting. There are also competitive bids for the private insurance pool.


Sources: Healthy Kids Plan Legislation; Legislative Fiscal Office (June 22, 2007), Fiscal Analysis; Office of Private Health Partnerships (Sept. 2007), Healthy Kids Program Request for Information.


Look at Who Supports Measure 50 – And Who Doesn’t
Measure 50 is supported by a long list of Oregon’s leading child and health advocates, nurses, doctors, teachers, and businesses. Supporters include the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Oregon Nurses Association, Oregon Medical Association, Oregon PTA, Oregon Education Association, Children First for Oregon, Stand for Children, Oregon Business Association, and Portland Business Association. The funding for our campaign comes from our supporters, as well as individual Oregonians. . The opposition to Measure 50 is funded by R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, the tobacco companies.


Source: Oregon Secretary of State, ORESTAR (Campaign Finance Database).


Oregon’s Kids Can’t Wait
Right now, 117,000 Oregon children don’t have health coverage. These kids don’t get the health care they need when they need it. And kids who don’t receive preventive or early health care are more likely to end up in emergency rooms or require more expensive treatments. Measure 50, the Healthy Kids Initiative, will finally provide these children with the health coverage they need.

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the Fact Sheet (PDF)