KANSAS CITY, Mo. – When Missourians head to the polls on November 7, one group wants to make sure they have "all the facts" about the potential effects of a 470 percent increase in the state's cigarette excise tax.

Americans for Prosperity-Missouri unveiled a study on Friday conducted by University of Missouri economist Dr. Joseph H. Haslag that suggests the proposed cigarette excise tax increase "is tantamount to a billion dollar unfunded mandate that could result in  higher taxes for all Missourians," notes a press release. (Editor's note: view the entire study by clicking here.)

"Whatever smoke and mirrors tax hike supporters use to distort the truth, taxpayers need to know that the real debate over Amendment 3 should not be about smoking or about healthcare," Americans for Prosperity-Missouri State Director Cathy Nugent said in the release. "The debate should be about a billion dollar unfunded mandate that will quite possibly hit all Missouri taxpayers with a huge tax increase."

According to the research, the proposed amendment establishes “higher funding levels and new state programs based on faulty projections of the state revenue that will be generated by the tax hike.” Haslag notes in the research that the revenue calculations “assume that consumer demand for tobacco products will remain nearly constant, when in fact significant elasticity of demand occurs due to tobacco users shopping across state lines or purchasing tobacco products online.”

“Relying on a declining source of revenue, such as a cigarette tax, to pay for new government programs and support higher funding levels for existing programs, amounts to hoodwinking taxpayers into an unfunded-mandate that they will eventually be forced to foot the bill for,” Nugent adds. “Amendment 3 is not about smoking -- it is about smoke and mirrors.”

Meanwhile, on Monday the state Supreme Court said it will hear arguments on October 3 to decide whether Missourians will be able to vote on the proposed cigarette excise tax increase, reports the Associated Press. Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan had originally denied the ballot measure; however, last week Cole County Circuit Judge Thomas Brown ordered the tax hike back on to the November 7 ballot.