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» The Politics of Smoking
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Please click on the links below to view an announcement
of particular interest or scroll down the page to view all recent
announcements:
» Norfolk,
VA, City Council Rescinds Restaurant Smoking Ban Ordinance (3/26/08)
» Virginia's
Governor Continues Quest for Restaurant Smoking Ban (2/22/08)
» Smoking
Ban Legislation Defeated in Virginia's House (2/15/08)
» David
Meyer of Milan Tobacconists Speaks Out on Smoking Ban Legislation
(2/7/08)
» Virginia
Senate Passes Broad Smoking Ban Bills (2/6/08)
» 12 Smoking Bans
Filed for 2008 Virginia General Assembly (1/18/08)
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Norfolk, VA, City Council
Rescinds Restaurant Smoking Ban Ordinance (3/26/08)
Norfolk City Council rescinded an ordinance it passed last fall that
would have banned smoking in city restaurants beginning March 31, 2008.
City Council voted 5-2 to repeal the ordinance on March 25th, which
passed 7-1 in October 2007. According to The Associated Press,
Council members reversed course because of concerns that Norfolk restaurants
would lose business to surrounding cities. Norfolk would have been
the first city in Virginia to ban smoking in restaurants.
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Virginia's Governor Continues
Quest for Restaurant Smoking Ban (2/22/08)
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine continues his quest for a statewide smoking
ban in restaurants despite opposition, hopeful he can convince House
subcommittee members to reconsider and bring the bill to the floor
for discussion.
"I have a feeling if it comes up for a vote, one might pass
now; we might need to make some adjustments," said Kaine. "We
are working with leadership to see if there is some version of it
to come up for a vote."
The Virginia Beach Restaurant Association took out a full page
ad in The Virginian Pilot on Wednesday, February 20th,
sending a strong message to the only lawmaker who can revive a statewide
smoking ban bill in the House - Virginia Beach Delegate Terrie Suit.
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Smoking Ban
Legislation Defeated in Virginia's House (2/15/08)
Virginia smokers have another year to continue lighting up inside
restaurants and other public places. A six-delegate subcommittee in
the Virginia House has effectively killed nearly a dozen bills designed
to ban smoking in various places.
Subcommittee members said the government shouldn't be telling
business owners what to do on their own property. Additionally,
they said that many restaurants in Virginia are already smoke-free,
which gives nonsmokers a choice.
Supporters of the defeated legislation intend to reintroduce it
next year.
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David
Meyer of Milan Tobacconists Speaks Out on Smoking Ban Legislation
(2/7/08)
Anti-smoking lobby groups released a survey on February 6th stating
that three fourths of Virginia voters favor a broad ban on smoking.
The report comes as four major anti-smoking bills pass in the
Senate Education and Health Committee. Proponents of a ban say the
danger of secondhand smoke no longer can be ignored.
"We are way beyond the years when we could say if you want
to smoke, yourself, it's OK because you aren't affecting other people,"
said Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington. Senate Bill 298 would
make lighting up in a public place illegal. Some exceptions include
smoking in home offices, cars and private clubs. The ban has a broad
reach that would please many and upset others, the survey reports.
Although 96 percent of Virginian voters surveyed stated secondhand
smoke is a health hazard, opponents of the ban say, regardless of
public opinion, the government should not get involved in private-business
decisions.
"It should be up to the owner of the establishment (whether
to allow smoking)," said David Meyer of Milan Tobacconists,
a Roanoke tobacco shop. Meyer receives a lot of business from country
clubs, hotels, and people who want to enjoy a cigar at the smoker-friendly
restaurant next door to his shop. If the smoking ban passes, Meyer
and the entire tobacco industry would lose customers. "The
tobacco industry provides a lot of revenues for the state,"
Meyer said.
The tobacco industry contributed $5.5 million to the General Assembly
over the past decade, according to the Virginia Public Access Project,
an online database that tracks campaign contributions.
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Virginia
Senate Passes Broad Smoking Ban Bills (2/6/08)
The Senate voted 23-15 on February 5th to pass legislation to ban
smoking in most indoor public places. The Senate also passed more
narrow restrictions, including two local-option bills and one backed
by Governor Timothy Kaine to prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars
statewide.
All four anti-smoking bills now go to the House of Delegates.
The House last year rejected a restaurant smoking ban.
Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple's bill would prohibit smoking not only
in restaurants, but also in banks, sporting arenas, shopping malls,
and most other public places. It exempts hotel rooms designated
for smoking, specialty tobacco stores, and private rooms in nursing
homes and other long-term care facilities.
The Arlington Democrat says research shows that smoking kills
about 9,000 Virginians a year, and exposure to secondhand smoke
claims an additional 1,000 lives.
Without debate, the Senate also voted 28-10 to pass the bill banning
smoking in restaurants and bars. The other two bills would allow
localities to enact smoking ordinances and give some Hampton Roads
localities the authority to enact bans.
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12 Smoking
Bans Filed for 2008 Virginia General Assembly (1/18/08)
Below is a summary of smoking ban bills for both the Virginia Senate
and House of Delegates.
SENATE LEGISLATION (All Senate bills have been referred to the
Senate Education and Health Committee):
- SB 202 by Senator Fred Quayle (R-Suffolk) - Calls for outright
ban in any establishment that has a Department of Health license
to operate as a restaurant. It would also allow local ordinances
to be more powerful than the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act.
- SB 298 by Senator Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington) - Calls
for outright ban, but unlike Governor's version, this one exempts
private clubs.
- SB 347 by Senator Harry Blevins (R-Chesapeake) - Calls for local
authority for the City of Chesapeake. It actually calls for an
outright ban in the city for both indoor and outdoor venues where
food is served.
- SB 501 by Senator Mamie Locke (D-Hampton) and Senator Ralph
Northam (D-Norfolk) - This is the Governor's Senate version of
his smoking ban. It is an across-the-board ban, including private
clubs (though it has the exception for tobacco retail establishments).
HOUSE LEGISLATION (All House bills have been referred to the House
General Laws Committee):
- HB 288 by Delegate David Englin (D-Alexandria) - as his own
introduction of a state smoking ban and allowance of local governments
to pass ordinances stronger than that of the Commonwealth. The
bill specifically targets bars and lounges, and any establishment
that has a Health Department permit.
- HB 500 by Delegate Phil Hamilton (R-Newport News) - as his own
statewide smoking ban. Delegate Hamilton chairs the House Health,
Welfare and Institutions Committee. This version does not apply
to private clubs.
- HB 572 by Delegate Algie Howell (D-Norfolk) - this is the Governor's
bill in the House of Delegates, making it a statewide public and
private smoking ban.
- HB 821 by Delegate Harvey Morgan (R-Gloucester) - as his own
version of the same bill he introduced last year, which calls
for a statewide smoking ban.
- HB 1063 by Delegates Brink, Amundson, Barlow, Bulova, Ebbin,
Eisenburg, Englin, Plum, Poisson, Scott, J.M., Sickles, Vanderhye,
and Watts, as a "coalition bill" for Northern Virginia
by most of their Delegates and all Democrats. It allows for a
"concurrent resolution" that would empower virtually
every Northern Virginia local government to enact its own smoking
ban if two-thirds of the local governments so choose.
- HB 1253 by Delegate Dave Marsden (D-Burke)- as a restaurant-only
smoking ban.
- HB 1341 by Delegate William Barlow (D-Smithfield) - as his own
version of a restaurant smoking ban; it allows local ordinances
to be stronger than that of the Commonwealth.
- HB 1432 by Delegate Algie Howell (D-Norfolk) - Allows cities
with a population over 200,000 to have ordinances that exceed
those of the Commonwealth, with its own definition of restaurant,
"to also include bars and lounges."
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