Measure four was a proposed cigarette tax increase for North Dakota. This measure failed and was the only measure on the ballot to fail.

The opposition was able to raise a large amount of money to make sure that people attributed a tax hike when thinking of measure four.

I reached out to the opposition to get their side of the story.

Of the four major entities that opposed measure four, I found it integral to talk to two. The North Dakota Retail Association and the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce (NDCC). The other two that opposed measure four were large tobacco companies. It seemed to me rather obvious why there were backing the opposition.

I interviewed Andy Peterson, president and CEO of the NDCC, in a phone call.

“We opposed it on very narrow grounds,” Peterson said. Peterson told me the opposition came mostly from the wording of the measure, and where the funds were going to be spent.

When asked about the other opposition, Peterson knew of the tobacco companies but affirmed the NDCC raised no money and took no money in the wake of their opposition. Rather their opposition was on their own grounds, because of their own research into the bill.

Peterson had no comment about whether tobacco companies may have tried to sway voters.

I reached out to Mike Rud, president of the North Dakota Retail Association, but he was unable to get back to me.

These two individuals and the subsequent organizations they represent have their own grounds for opposing measure four. I am thankful to hear Peterson’s side, and I hope to hear back from Mike Rud.

Staying informed and talking to all sides is important for today. It is how we progress and learn more about our state and what it wants collectively.

For North Dakota, I still believe large tobacco companies donating large sums of cash in opposition to a tobacco tax is not right. With that being said, a well-founded, thought out opinion can lie on either side of the debate.

To clarify, my last article regarding measure four had a typo in the title. I incorrectly said opposition “spent $3.6 million to sway voters.” That is how much money was raised for the opposition, they only spent about a $1 million. The revision would be to change spent to raised.