Alcoholism

ALCOHOLISM. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Imposes tax surcharge upon beer, wine and distilled spirits sold in the state of 5 cents per ounce of absolute alcohol content plus specified inflation adjustment factor. Proceeds are to be deposited in State Treasury as follows: (1) 30% to Alcohol Program Services Special Fund. (2) 30% to Alcohol Traffic Safety, Enforcement, and Prosecution Fund. (3) 10% to Special Victims Indemnity Fund. (4) 30% to General Fund. Specifies appropriations and uses of these funds for designated alcohol and related programs, including distribution of portion of funds to counties for designated uses. Contains policy statements and other provisions. Fiscal impact on state and local governments: The Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance advise that the adoption of this measure would generate about $160 million in alcoholic beverage surcharge revenues during the last half of the 1982-83 fiscal year, and about $400 million during the first full year this measure would be operative, namely 1983-84. Beginning in 1985, the surcharge tax rate would be indexed to changes in the U.S. Consumer Price Index. The surcharge revenues would be earmarked for the alcohol programs specified in Sections 32223 and 32224 of this measure. The administrative cost of collecting the surcharge would be funded out of the tax revenues. Therefore, there would be no net additional state costs. Because the surcharge would be part of the sales tax base, state and local governments would receive higher sales taxes as a result of this measure. In 1982-83, the additional sales tax revenues would be about $10 million and in 1983-84, about $24 million. These additional sales tax revenues are not earmarked for alcohol programs