The Oregonian reported earlier this year that Oregon legislators get more campaign money from tobacco companies than candidates in all but 3 other states. And it pays off.

The Democrats, who control both houses of the Oregon Legislature, just backed off a widely supported increase in the state tobacco tax. Oregon's tobacco taxes are lower than in 36 other states and US territories. Oregon's $1.33 per pack pales in comparison to Washington ($3.03 per pack) or California ($2.87 per pack). And Oregon has no taxes on vaping products.

Instead of adopting the proposed $2 per pack increase, the Oregon Legislature is adopting no increase at all. Instead, it might refer to voters a proposed tobacco tax increase. The last time that happened (in 2007) the tobacco companies spent $12 million and defeated the measure. So the Democrats are punting to a procedure that is very likely to result in no tobacco tax increase.

Thanks, Democrats, for disregarding the public health catastrophe caused by tobacco.

Greedy tobacco companies continue their efforts to entice children to smoke by paying merchants to place tobacco products at low counter levels in stores, where children will see them, and by packaging tobacco products to be attractive to children. They look like candy.

SmokeFree Oregon has produced television ads calling our attention to these practices and asks that we take action.

The Oregon Progressive Party calls on our Legislature to pass laws banning the display of tobacco products in stores, period.  Anyone who want to buy tobacco products should have to ask at the check-out counter.  If the Legislature will not do this, then our county and city governments should do so.