A two-year, $483 million spending plan for payments received by the state from major tobacco companies easily cleared the House Tuesday.
The measure distributes funding for school facilities, classroom technology, health programs, smoking prevention, law enforcement and tobacco farming communities. Supporters of the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation were able to protect its $107 million allotment despite some efforts to divert funds to other uses.
Comments were made that lawmakers should stay with the plan for the settlement payments, some of which had already been sidetracked in prior budget-related measures. No additional amendments were made to the tobacco budget bill.