Review and approval of a summary statement prepared for the initiative petition submitted by Edward Greim regarding a proposed amendment to Article IV of the Missouri Constitution (2016-152).

C HRIS KOSTER A TTORNt:.V GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL O F M I SSOURI JEFFERSON CITY 65102 January 4, 2016 P.O.Box899 (573) 751·3321 OPINION LETTER NO. 8-2016 The Honorable Jason Kander Missouri Secretary of State James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center 600 West Main Street J efferson City, MO 65101 Dear Secretary Kander: This opinion letter responds to your request dated December 24, 2015, for our review under § 116.334, RSMo, of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Edward Greim regarding a proposed constitutional amendment to amend Article IV of the Missouri Constitution (2016-152). The proposed summary statement is as follows: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: • increase taxes on cigarettes each year through 2020, at which point this additional tax will total60 cents per pack of 20; • create a fee paid by cigarette wholesalers of 67 cents per pack of 20 on certain cigarettes; and • deposit funds generated by these taxes and fees into a newly established Early Childhood Health and Education Trust Fund? 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-2015-0404 www.ago.mo.gov The Honorable Jason Kander 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. &.:z~.:~ CHRIS KOSTER Attorney General OP-2015-0404