Health wins at the ballot box!

Bipartisan health initiatives won big on Election Day. Here’s the state-by-state breakdown.

Arizona

• In Mesa, Question 1 - The 2020 Mesa Moves Bond Program will invest about $20 million to improve streets and roads for safe and accessible places to walk and bike.

Colorado

• Proposition EE increases the tobacco tax by $1.10, with subsequent increases that will triple the current cigarette tax over the next decade. In addition to reducing tobacco and e-cigarette use, it will help prevent some potential state budget cuts to K-12 education and ensure universal, free preschool.
• Denver Ballot Measure 2A accelerates the expansion of sidewalks and bike lanes and makes transportation options healthier and more accessible.

Florida

• Following the AHA’s “vote no” campaign, Florida rejected Amendment 4, which would have threatened the citizen initiative process by requiring ballot measures to be approved in two successive elections.

Missouri

• Led by a coalition of Black mothers, caregivers and educators, Proposition R in St. Louis allocates $2.3 million annually for early childhood services in the city’s poorest communities.

Oklahoma

• State Question #814, which would have diverted funds away from tobacco and other health programs, lost by approximately 59%-41%. This vote allows for the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust – TSET to continue funding research, treatment of tobacco-related health issues and cessation aids.

Oregon

• Measure 108 increases the state’s cigarette tax from $1.33 to $3.33 per pack. It also adds a 65% tax on e-cigarettes and triples the state’s current tobacco program funding from just over $8 million to just over $24 million annually.
• Measure 26-214 Multnomah Preschool for All enables every 3- and 4-year-old in Multnomah County to attend preschool tuition-free, whether the school is based in a home, school, center or Head Start facility.

Texas

• In Austin, Proposition B provides $460 million in taxpayer funds to transportation infrastructure, including sidewalks, bikeways, urban trails, transportation safety projects, safe routes to schools and improvements to substandard streets.
• In Corpus Christi, Proposition B provides $12 million for park and recreation facilities with no tax rate increase. It includes 42 projects.