State lawmakers are considering taking away the annual payment going to Oklahoma’s Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.
Rep. Scott Biggs proposes allocating TSET’s 75 percent share of the state’s nearly $80 million annual tobacco settlement payment to a new rural health care fund. Biggs said TSET’s investment earnings are plenty.
"TSET is big enough as it is. If they've got enough money to sponsor Thunder games and 'stop drinking grape juice' campaign ads in schools, maybe they have enough money in their trust fund to get back to stop smoking and helping tobacco users, helping health care," Biggs said.
TSET grants fund various health initiatives in 75 Oklahoma counties.
Biggs does want to use TSET's board structure for his rural health care idea. House Joint Resolution 1015 would create an Oklahoma Rural Health Care Infrastructure fund with a five-member board of investors.
"And then we also put in there percentages, like 80 percent has to be used for rural health care infrastructure," Biggs said. "Nineteen percent has to be used for manpower training: doctors, physicians in rural Oklahoma. One percent for these other rural economic issues."
Rep. David Perryman asked Biggs if creating the new rural health care fund is necessary.
"Why couldn't we change TSET and assign that mission to TSET for a portion of their funding that's continuing to come in?" Perryman said.
Biggs said Perryman or another lawmaker is welcome to fill legislation to accomplish that.
"The TSET board, while they do a great job on some of their programs, not all the time has the best interests of rural Oklahoma at heart," Biggs said.
Biggs aims to put his proposal to a vote of the people. HJR1015 has passed committee and is awaiting House approval.
