Taxes. Schools. Tobacco And Alcohol.

TAXES. SCHOOLS. TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Imposes surtax of about 10 per drink on beer (12 ounces), wine (5 ounces), and distilled spirits (1 ounce) and 50 per package on cigarettes and tobacco products. Requires new revenues to be used to: reduce public school class size; increase safety; purchase computers and related services for kindergarten through grade twelve; distribute funds to University of California, California State University and community colleges if fees not raised above 1995-96 levels; reimburse for expenses of administering initiative. Makes knowing failure to comply a misdemeanor for public school board members or administrators. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: The proposed surtax would increase revenue by approximately $2 billion annually, all of which would be used for educational purposes specified in the measure. It would also increase state and local general tax revenues by approximately $80 million annually. It would decrease revenue in other health programs supported by cigarette taxes (Proposition 99 and Breast Cancer Fund) by about $35 million annually