The implementation of California's tobacco tax initiative: The critical role of outsider strategies in protecting Proposition 99

Enacted in 1988, Proposition 99 increased California's cigarette tax by 25 cents per pack and allocated a minimum of 20 percent of the revenues to fun d antitobacco education. Tobacco control advocates had used an initiative t o secure the tax increase because the legislature had not increased the tob acco tax since 1967, even though public opinion polls showed that the tax w as politically popular. Advocates, however, then had to return to the legis lature to negotiate implementing legislation. Between 1989 and 1996, the le gislature underfunded the Proposition 99 Health Education programs by over $273 million. This underfunding occurred because the public health groups f ailed to exercise power, ideas, and the leadership needed for legislative s uccess. Even successful litigation against the governor failed to restore t he programs. In July 1996, however, the underexpenditures stopped because t he issue of the diversions received significant media and public attention. The tobacco control groups used a variety of outsider strategies, includin g paid advertising, free media, and a grassroots campaign, and the leadersh ip of these groups, in addition to the lobbyists, got involved in the campa ign to secure implementing legislation. Without ongoing public pressure, it is likely that policy changes created by tobacco tax initiatives will diss ipate into something acceptable to powerful insider interests, such as the tobacco and medical service provider industries.