JACKSON, Miss. – Gov. Haley Barbour on Monday vetoed a bill that would continue to allow the Mississippi Legislature to give $20 million a year to a private, nonprofit anti-tobacco organization.
In his veto message, Barbour said “the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi has been cloaked in politics and cronyism.”
The Partnership has received $20 million a year by court order since 2000. The money comes from a massive lawsuit Mississippi settled with tobacco companies in 1997.
Barbour, a Republican, sued in 2005 seeking to halt payments to the Partnership, which is led by former Attorney General Mike Moore, a Democrat.
Moore filed the landmark lawsuit against the tobacco industry. At the time, Barbour was a Washington, D.C., lobbyist representing some tobacco companies. Barbour has said his Washington record has not influenced his position about the Partnership money.
A spokeswoman for the nonprofit disagreed.
With the veto, “Haley Barbour looks like he continues to protect the interest of big tobacco,” said Sharon Garrison, the Partnership’s communications director.
The Partnership operates several anti-smoking programs, many of them targeting Mississippi teens. The group has received national recognition for its programs, which are credited with reducing underage smoking.
In addition, the group helps pay for school nurses and offers tobacco treatment services.
Barbour said the Partnership has received $100 million since 2000, but there’s no public accounting of how the money was spent.
“The Partnership’s argument is to give the Partnership another $20 million and then they’ll tell us what they did with the other $100 million. I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night,” Barbour said.
Barbour said the Partnership has received $100 million since 2000, but there’s no public accounting of how the money was spent.
Miss. bill for Tobacco payment vetoed
Originally written By: Shelia Byrd
