Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:
One new section in Article X to be known as Section 26 is enacted as follows:
Section 26
1. This section shall be known as the “Local Voters’ Right to Set and Control Local Tobacco Taxes Initiative.”
2. Notwithstanding section 1 of this article or any other law to the contrary, local voters shall have the right to set and control local tobacco taxes in counties.
3. Any local tobacco tax approved by local voters under this initiative shall be used solely for local job creation, local health care, local public education, local tobacco use prevention and quit assistance, or other local use specifically approved by local voters.
4. As used in this initiative, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Local voters” shall not mean the General Assembly nor the local governing body in a county, but shall only mean a majority of the qualified voters casting ballots in an election in a county on a county-wide tobacco tax measure, whether submitted to local voters by the local governing body or by local initiative petition in counties where the initiative is otherwise available.
(2) “Right to set and control local tobacco taxes” means the right, power and authority to set, control, impose, establish, levy, collect, fix, reduce, eliminate or change the rate, base or dedicated use of a county excise tax on cigarettes or tobacco products, or other tax on cigarettes or tobacco products, or on the selling of cigarettes or tobacco products, or on the business of selling cigarettes or tobacco products.
5. All existing local tobacco taxes in place on the effective date of this initiative shall remain in effect provided, however, that the rate, base or dedicated use of such local tobacco taxes may only be modified with the approval of local voters.
6. The provisions of this initiative are self-executing. Governing bodies in counties are authorized, but not mandated, to submit measures to local voters to set and control local tobacco taxes at elections occurring after the date this initiative is approved by voters. In addition, the people are authorized, but not mandated, to submit measures to local voters by initiative petition to set and control local tobacco taxes at elections occurring after the date this initiative is approved by voters.
7. All of the provisions of this initiative are severable. If any provision of this initiative is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or unconstitutionally enacted, the remaining provisions shall be and remain valid.