Taxes. Schools. Tobacco And Alcohol.

TAXES. SCHOOLS. TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Imposes surtax of $1.07 per gallon on beer, $2.56 per gallon on wine, $12.80 per gallon on distilled spirits, 50c per package on cigarettes and tobacco products. Requires new revenues to be used to: reduce public school class size; increase public school 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