Legislators Rolling in Tobacco Money ALTRIA DONATIONS TOBACCO

Source from:  The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star 12/29/2008

RICHMOND--When Gov. Tim Kaine proposed last week to double the tax on cigarettes, he took on a large contributor to state politicians. Tobacco companies have over the years given millions of dollars to Virginia candidates--including to Kaine himself. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, a database of campaign finance donations in Virginia, tobacco companies, executives and farmers have given state politicians nearly $6 million since 1996. The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund has donated $15,826, with 76 percent going to Democrats. The roster of candidates who've received donations from tobacco companies includes nearly every politician in state politics, in both parties. Think of a big name in state politics--former Gov. Jim Gilmore, former Lt. Gov. John Hager, former Gov. Mark Warner, former state Sen. John Chichester, former House Speaker Vance Wilkins, former GOP gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore, current Democratic Party Chairman Dick Cranwell, House Speaker Bill Howell, Gov. Tim Kaine--they're all on the list of tobacco donations. Local lawmakers on the list, in addition to Howell and Chichester, include Sens. Edd Houck and Richard Stuart and Dels. Mark Cole, Bobby Orrock and Albert Pollard. The largest donor by far is Altria, the Richmond-based parent company of Philip Morris, maker of the Marlboro brand of cigarettes. Altria gave politicians $2.8 million over the past 12 years, 62 percent to Republicans. Altria had eight lobbyists registered with the Secretary of the Commonwealth as of its last report. The next-largest tobacco donor on the list, Reynolds American, has given $533,000 since 1996, with 57 percent of it going to Republicans. Universal Corp., a Richmond-based tobacco leaf processing company, has donated $457,044 over those 12 years; U.S. Tobacco, maker of Copenhagen snuff, has given $383,636; and Virginia-based S&M Brands, maker of Baileys cigarettes, gave $376,348. The two state political parties top the list of recipients of Altria donations, with the Democratic Party's Commonwealth Victory Fund PAC getting $167,000 over the years and the party itself another $43,350. The House and Senate Democratic caucuses have received $56,000. The Republican Party has received $166,000. Two Republican legislative PACs, the Joint Republican Caucus and the Senate Republican Leadership Trust, have together received more than $125,000 from Altria, and the House Republican Campaign Committee took in $36,206. Republican Jerry Kilgore's 2005 campaign comes in third, receiving $97,707. House Speaker Bill Howell's PAC, the Dominion Leadership Trust, is fourth, having taken in $97,383 from Altria. Kaine's 2005 gubernatorial campaign received $80,000 from Altria, his inaugural committee another $50,000. Former governor and now U.S. Sen.-elect Mark Warner was given $77,584 by Altria during his 2001 gubernatorial race, and his PAC, One Virginia, has received another $85,000. Warner spearheaded the last cigarette-tax increase, five years ago, when as part of a large package of tax increases and cuts the tax was raised from 2.5 cents a pack to the current 30 cents a pack. Other lawmakers who supported that tax increase also have received money from tobacco companies, as have those who supported bills--which have failed--to ban smoking in restaurants. Kaine wants to take the tax from 30 cents a pack to 60 cents a pack. The national average is $1.18 per pack, according to data from the national Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. New York state has the highest tax, at $2.75 per pack. Missouri has the lowest, at 17 cents per pack. Virginia ranks 47th. The numbers don't include local taxes. The state is facing a budget shortfall of at least $2.9 billion over the next two years, and Kaine says raising the cigarette tax would mitigate potential cuts to Medicaid services. He says revenue from the increased tax would go toward offsetting the costs Medicaid pays for smokers' health problems. Republican legislators have been dismissive of Kaine's proposal to raise the tax, saying that it could lead to job losses at Virginia tobacco companies. The tax would have to pass both the House of Delegates--where Republicans are in the majority--and the state Senate to become law. Enditem