Monday, May 15, 2017
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement on the vote in the Oklahoma House on House Bill 2372, a revenue-raising measure to increase the tax on cigarettes by $1.50 per pack:
“I’m disappointed in those legislators who put political games and Washington-like gridlock ahead of the lives of Oklahomans and the core services our citizens expect.
“It’s personal to those of us who have lost loved ones to smoking-related illnesses. It’s personal to teenagers in Oklahoma who would have been saved from lives of tobacco addiction if the bill had passed. It’s personal for citizens who would have received health care from the new revenue.
“I encourage all citizens to contact legislators and urge a yes vote on a smart way to protect the health of our citizens and the health of our state services.”