Battle On For Cigarette Tax Funds

A stream of witnesses sought Tuesday to save the $7 million in cigarette tax money that is supposed to fund expanded substance abuse programs in Idaho schools.

But other witnesses told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee that half the money should go to finance the new Department of Juvenile Corrections.

After a 90-minute hearing, the panel postponed action on the bill until at least today with a long list of witnesses yet to testify.

The Legislature last year increased the state cigarette tax by 10 cents per package. The money was supposed to go into expanded alcohol and drug prevention programs in the schools.

But those behind creation of a new Department of Juvenile Corrections aimed at increasing control over juvenile lawbreakers want half the money for county probation officers.

Rep. Celia Gould, R-Buhl, told the committee both programs are worthwhile.

“It’s not an attempt to downgrade or belittle the preventive aspect,” she said. “But if you can’t get all the kids on the preventive side, you are going to have to deal with them on the other end of the system,” Gould said.

“We know that without passage of this bill, the funding is not going to be there for county probation officers,” said Ada County Sheriff Vaughn Killeen.

Witnesses from the Twin Falls area, including four students, pleaded with lawmakers not to take money away from substance abuse programs. Skyla Jensen, a Twin Falls High School student, said, “We know what the money had to be used for and it isn’t for a juvenile probation program.”

She said it takes money for effective advertising to counter the tobacco industry’s ads.

“Repetition and appeal are the ways to get through and that isn’t possible to do without money,” she said.

Patricia Getty, program consultant with the state Department of Education, said 50 percent of the substance abuse money is to go to school districts based on enrollment, and 40 percent to areas with high-risk students. Another 10 percent will be awarded through grants.

“I’m not going to argue that the criminal justice system doesn’t need the money, but give the schools a chance to show it works,” she said.

Marcia Lanting of Twin Falls said her substance abuse program has just $39,000 to serve 7,000 students.

Her husband, Greg Lanting, Filer High School principal, said that with federal cuts in funding for substance abuse programs, cutbacks in the Department of Health and Welfare, and fewer private donations, there is little money for effective substance abuse projects.

“We need the whole dime to do the job,” he said.