A plan to allocate the billions of dollars coming Misosuri’s way from the national tobacco settlement is advancing in the House. Once figured to be $6.7-billion, Missouri’s share of the settlement is now estimated at $4.5-billion over the next 25 years. An amendment to a bill establishing a Life Sciences Research Program sets out how the money would be spent: 60 percent for health care and senior citizen drug coverage, 20 percent for life sciences, and 10 percent each for smoking prevention and early childhood care. The measure must still pass a roll call vote in the House before it can move to the Senate.
