COLUMBUS — Anti-smoking forces struck back Friday, April 4, blasting Gov. Ted Strickland, House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, for trying to grab $230 million for a proposed $1.57 billion economic stimulus program.

The board of trustees of the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation voted to transfer $190 million from the endowment to one or all of three groups equally — the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Legacy Foundation and the Ohio Hospital Association for Health Communities Foundation.

They also voted to ask Attorney General Marc Dann to appoint a special legal counsel to determine if the plan by Strickland and the two legislative leaders is legal.

The foundation was created with money from Ohio's share of the national tobacco settlement "to save Ohioans' lives from tobacco addiction," a press release said.

"The board felt like it was given no choice but to do whatever it had to do to protect and save Ohio lives," Dr. David Rummel, board chairman, said in a statement.

Taking the $230 million would reduce the endowment to about $40 million.

Strickland and the lawmakers, in a joint statement, vowed to "take every step necessary to prevent the foundation from circumventing the bipartisan decision that has been made for the good of all Ohioans."

The stimulus plan includes money to "support emerging technologies and advanced biomedical research and development that will save lives and lead to new medical advances in our state," they said.

Money for the economic stimulus package also would come from $970 million in bonds — including $400 million requiring voter approval — and $370 million from the state's general fund.

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