Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has donated $1.5 million extra to the marketing campaign to retain Denver’s ban on flavored tobacco, serving to to offer supporters of the ban greater than 4 instances the assets of opponents.
Within the earlier marketing campaign finance stories filed in September, opponents of the ban had far outraised supporters. The current donation by the businessman and former mayor of New York Metropolis, disclosed in a brand new month-to-month submitting this week, considerably shifts the dynamics of the Nov. 4 election, when a query about whether or not to retain the brand new ordinance will seem as Referendum 310 on the poll.
The supporters’ marketing campaign, “Denver Youngsters vs Massive Tobacco,” has now acquired about $2 million in direct and in-kind donations by means of the top of September. The opposition, “Citizen Energy!” — which pushed to repeal the ban — has raised practically $470,000, based on Denver’s marketing campaign finance dashboard.
The opposition marketing campaign referred to as the contribution from Bloomberg a “David vs. Goliath story.”
“Whereas their aspect spends tens of millions from New York to dictate Denver’s coverage, we consider Denver ought to determine Denver’s future — not an outdoor billionaire,” stated Philip Guerin, with the Rocky Mountain Smoke Free Alliance, a vaping business commerce affiliation, in an announcement. He’s the proprietor of Myxed Up Creations on East Colfax Avenue.
In response to a query in regards to the massive donation from Bloomberg, a spokesperson for the supporters’ marketing campaign didn’t point out the billionaire and as an alternative pointed to assist from different organizations. Bloomberg additionally had donated $73,500 to the marketing campaign in August.
“Contributions to the Sure on 310 marketing campaign have come from quite a lot of sources, together with people, public well being advocacy organizations and well being suppliers. Our supporters are dedicated to defending the well being of Denver youngsters and stopping massive tobacco from hooking them right into a lifetime of nicotine dependancy,” Illana Poley wrote in an electronic mail.
The poll query has the potential to be one of the vital contentious in Denver this 12 months. The Central Committee of the Democratic Occasion of Denver, after a current dialogue, determined to not take a place on the query, regardless of both supporting or opposing each different native poll situation.
In late 2024, the Denver Metropolis Council near-unanimously permitted the ban on gross sales of most flavored tobacco and nicotine merchandise after public well being and youngsters’s advocates argued the merchandise may lure younger individuals into a lifetime of dependancy.
Then, in March, “Citizen Energy!” submitted 17,000 signatures in hopes of placing a query on the poll to overturn the ban. The town verified that no less than 9,494 of the signatures have been legitimate, passing the brink for a citizen’s poll initiative — and qualifying Referendum 310 for the poll.
“Citizen Energy!” has argued that the ban will harm small companies in Denver, deprive adults of selections and get rid of tens of millions of {dollars} in gross sales tax income for the town.
A “sure” vote on the referendum helps retaining the ban, whereas a “no” vote is in favor of repealing it. Mail ballots will exit to voters beginning Friday.
“Citizen Energy!” has acquired donations from tobacco pursuits and vape retailer advocates, together with $172,700 from the Rocky Mountain Smoke Free Alliance; $75,000 every from the tobacco firm Philip Morris Worldwide and Altria Shopper Companies, which is a part of one other tobacco firm; and $12,500 from Swisher Worldwide.
Apart from Bloomberg, different contributors to the “Denver Youngsters vs. Massive Tobacco” marketing campaign embrace the anti-smoking group Tobacco-Free Youngsters Motion Fund, which has donated greater than $351,000, and the healthcare firm Kaiser Permanente, which has donated $50,000.
Bloomberg is a staunch opponent of tobacco and has devoted $1.6 billion to combating tobacco use internationally, based on Bloomberg Philanthropies.
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