Knowing that the Oregon Legislature would examine cigarette taxes and indoor air regulations this year, tobacco companies contributed more than $125,000 to last year's legislative campaigns in the state.

At least $55,000 of that money went directly to the campaigns of House and Senate members who have since been chosen leaders or committee chairmen, such as House Speaker Mark Simmons, R-Elgin. Most of the money came from the nation's two largest tobacco companies -- Philip Morrisand R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Oregon Elections Division records show. Although one of the Legislature's top issues this session will be to decide how to spend $350 million in 2001-03 from the tobacco companies' legal settlement, that's not a discussion the tobacco companies will be participating in, said Mark W. Nelson, a lobbyist who represents R.J. Reynolds. Instead, tobacco companies will be focusing on issues such as trying to make sure the Legislature, which opens Monday, doesn't broaden the state Indoor Clean Air Act to ban smoking in bars and taverns. The law forbids smoking in indoor public places except in designated areas, but lawmakers continue to discuss changing the law. "It has come up every session for the last six or seven sessions, and it's been defeated every time," Nelson said. The cigarette companies also will be working to oppose proposals to increase some cigarette taxes or to continue others. There is a 10 cents-a-pack tax, for instance, that began in 1993 as a temporary way to finance the Oregon Health Plan, the state's health insurance program for low-income people. Despite tobacco company opposition, the Legislature has extended the 10-cent tax in each legislative session since then, Nelson said. The tobacco firms have remained politically active despite reeling from a series of legal setbacks. In July, a Miami jury said tobacco companies should pay almost $145 billion for deceiving Florida's smokers about the damage of smoking, the biggest civil damage award in U.S. history. In 1998, the industry settled lawsuits with 46 states for a total of about $257 billion over the next 25 years, with about $2.4 billion to be paid to Oregon. The state settlements did not prevent individuals from suing. In Oregon's elections last year, the cigarette companies distributed their money to most of the state's top legislators. At least 16 House and Senate leaders and committee chairmen each received $2,000 to $5,000. In addition to R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, the money came from Brown & Williamson Tobacco and Lorillard Tobacco. But those contributions don't account for all tobacco contributions to legislators. The cigarette companies contributed a total of $48,700 to The Leadership Fund, the Senate Republican committee that gave to most of the Senate committee leaders. The cigarette companies gave another $25,000 to Majority 2000, the House Republican caucus' political action committee, and most or all of the House committee chairmen received money from the PAC. Although Republicans control both chambers, Democratic leaders also received tobacco money. House Minority Leader Dan Gardner, D-Portland, received a total of $2,250 from R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris. Senate Minority Leader Kate Brown, D-Portland, received a total of $750 from Lorillard and Brown & Williamson. Not all legislative leaders and committee chairmen received tobacco money. The cigarette companies made no contributions, for instance, to Rep. Bob Jenson, R-Pendleton, who leads the House Stream Restoration and Species Recovery Committee. The committee is unlikely to consider any tobacco-related legislation. Cigarettes continue to be a hot political issue in Oregon. In November, the Eugene City Council voted 7-1 to expand the city's workplace smoking ban to bars and bingo halls beginning this summer. Corvallis also prohibits smoking in bars and all other indoor public places, while Multnomah County and towns such as Baker City exempt bars and other adult-only businesses.

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