Review and approval of a summary statement prepared for the initiative petition submitted by Mark Reading regarding a proposed amendment to Article X of the Missouri Constitution (version 9).

LEXESTO ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI JEFFERSON CITY CHRIS KOSTER P.O. Box 899 ATTORNEY GENERAL 65102 (573) 751-3321 January 3, 2012 OPINION LETTER NO. 19-2012 The Honorable Robin Carnahan Missouri Secretary of State James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center 600 West Main Street Jefferson City, MO 65101 Dear Secretary Carnahan: This opinion letter responds to your request dated December 23, 2011, for our review under § 116.334, RSMo, of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Mark Reading regarding a proposed constitutional amendment to amend Article X of the Missouri Constitution (version 9). The proposed summary statement is as follows: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: allow voters in counties and the City of St. Louis to set and control local taxes on cigarettes or tobacco products within their county or city; and use the proceeds of such taxes for local job creation, health care, public education, reduction and prevention of tobacco use, or other uses specifically approved by such local voters? Pursuant to § 116.334, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed statement. Because our review of the statement is mandated by OP-2011-0275 www.ago.mo.gov The Honorable Robin Carnahan Page 2 statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the petition, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents. Very truly yours, Chi Khi CHRIS KOSTER Attorney General OP-2011-0275