Election Feature: Voters support wage hike, reject cigarette tax
Published Nov. 8, 2006
In addition to narrowly passing the stem cell initiative, Missourians also decided several other ballot initiatives at the polls on Tuesday.
Proposition B
With the passage of Proposition B, Missouri workers will now earn at least $6.50 per hour. That amount will change annually with the Consumer Price Index, which measures the costs of goods and services.
"By tying the minimum wage to cost of living, it has a much more practical and logical relationship to the cost of things that families need," Give Missourians a Raise spokeswoman Sara Howard said.
Opponents of the new law said they worry that the indexing will lead to artificial inflation and higher unemployment.
"The minimum wage will most likely increase by 25 to 30 cents each year," Save Our State Jobs spokesman Gary Marble said.
Amendment 3
Voters struck down Amendment 3, which would have increased taxes on a pack of cigarettes to 80 cents per pack.
The money from the tax would have funded health care and tobacco prevention programs in the state.
In a previous Maneater report, Missourians Against Tax Abuse spokesman Patrick Cacchione said the tax would have put poor smokers at a disadvantage.
"A wealthier person who smokes won't be affected as much as a poorer person who smokes," Cacchione said.
Amendments 6 and 7
Missourians passed both amendments. Amendment 6 grants tax exemptions on personal property held only for the use of nonprofit or veteran's organizations. Amendment 7 disqualifies any statewide elected official or state judge from receiving any pension from Missouri if convicted of a felony; it also makes it easier to pass pay raises for elected officials.