Sen. Bill Mims, R-Leesburg, the Senator representing the 33rd Senate District where I reside, introduced SB 1991 “Indoor Clean Air Act; smoking restrictions, civil penalty.” He was joined by two Democrat co-patrons, Sen. John Edwards, R-Roanoke, and Sen. Patricia Ticer, R-Alexandria.
This is a rather convoluted bill that proposes to restrict smoking in public places as well as private offices. Private office holders who work in separate enclosed areas and elect to smoke could do so, but would have to label their premises with signs stating “Warning Smoking Permitted.” First time violators are subject to $100 civil penalties. Repeat offenders will get hit with $250 fines.
This bill basically bans smoking from all public places to include restaurants, bars, and lounges, unless the bars and lounges are located in an entirely separate area which is self-enclosed. Promoting such a bill in Virginia is really odd given that our State is a big producer of tobacco products. I guess the Senators sponsoring this legislation don’t have any tobacco producing constituents to worry about.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t smoke, so banning all smoking from public places is OK in my book. But the libertarian side in me says that government has no place dictating to private businesses how they should run their enterprises. Restaurateurs should be allowed to make a decision on banning smoking solely on economic and market-based factors.
I’m really worried that my home Senator seems to have bitten from the “big government” apple. Last year he voted for Chichester’s $4.0 billion tax increase. This year he’s siding with the Democrats to regulate citizens’ behavior in public places. I shudder to think what may come down the pike.
I can only hope that Sen. Mims will borrow a page from the teachings of Thomas Jefferson who said “Government governed least is government governed best.”
Thursday, January 27, 2005
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5 comments:
Phil, I agree with you totally. I don't smoke, but I think the government should "butt" out of this one. If private businesses want to act on the latest scientific data to limit or ban smoking within their workplaces, that's OK with me. If government wants to educate the public--and even educate businesses--about the hazards of smoking in the workplace, that's OK with me. But I don't see the need for the government to get involved.
What's Mims' scientific evidence justifying this action? Does he cite any in his bill?
I suppose I'm influenced by my first job as a cub reporter with the Martinsville Bulletin (in Southside Virginia, big tobacco country). The five reporters had their desks all clustered together. The other four were chain smokers. There was an permanent haze in the air; the scent of cigarette smoke impregnated the carpet, the walls, even the fabric on the chairs. But I never thought to complain. I just got used to it. If I'd had asthma, maybe it would have been a different story. But, far as I can tell, all that second-hand smoke ain't hurt me none.
If smoking is such a harmful practice, government should declare tobacco an illegal substance and simply ban it. But they want their cake and eat it too! They continue to collect taxes from tobacco sales and impose big settlements on tobacco companies, while they continually chip away at our basic freedoms.
I don’t smoke either, but like the previously discussed anti-bully legislation, which is as juvenile as the tormenters it seeks to control, Virginia should avoid this sort of big government nannyism like the plague. If you are offended by smoke, why not simply avoid Virginia establishments where others choose to do so?
For me smoking in a public place is a very practical matter. I'm a smoker and I simply do not patronize businesses, such as restaurant and bars, which do not accommodate their paying customers and guests. Why should I pay money to someone who is not a gracious host and cannot work out such matters? The Mims bill, of course, is the classic slippery slope. What's next in such an Orwellian world? My wife has mentioned that she fears that wearing fragrances may be next to be proscribed! Mr Mims, are you listening?
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