Will These NoVA Delegates Keep Swimming Upstream on Smoking Ban?

By: TheGreenMiles
Published On: 9/24/2007 9:27:36 AM

Want to know how out of touch the GOP-dominated House of Delegates is with the voters of Virginia?  Back in April, 59% of the House voted against a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants, while only 32% of Virginians oppose such a ban.  That's left communities like Alexandria and Norfolk to try to formulate their own bans.  But as Gov. Kaine himself said during his recent RK live blog, there's reason to think November's elections could help bring the House back towards the political center:
I think the prospects of passing a restaurant smoking ban this year are very good. When a bill got to my desk last year -- one which would have weakened current smoking restrictions, in my view -- I changed it into an outright ban on smoking in restaurants to protect consumer and employee health. I was pleasantly surprised that it came close to passage in the House. I believe the November elections will help us get some version of this law passed.
Considering a full 70% of Northern Virginians support a ban, the eleven Northern Virginian delegates who voted against the ban are especially in focus.  The nine Republicans and two Democrats are: Dave Albo (R-Springfield), Chuck Caputo (D-Chantilly), Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), Jeff Frederick (R-Woodbridge), William J. Howell (R-Fredericksburg), Tim Hugo (R-Centreville), Bob Hull (D-Falls Church), Scott Lingamfelter (R-Woodbridge), Robert G. Marshall (R-Manassas), Joe T. May (R-Leesburg), and Jackson Miller (R-Manassas).  Should these delegates be re-elected to another term, would they vote against a statewide smoking ban in 2008?  I'll ask them and let you know what they say in a future post.

Comments



never will happen (Veritas - 9/24/2007 11:37:58 AM)
RoVa will never let this happen. full stop


smoking (insiderichmond - 9/24/2007 12:07:04 PM)
Will they ever separate bars from restaurants?  What about smoking at outdoor facilities?  There are so many nitpicky details to be sorted out before any type of ban can occur.  Wouldn't it be better to offer some sort of incentive for businesses that chose to be smoke-free rather than mandate it?  The odd thing is, I never became a smoker until living abroad where smoking bans caused everyone to go outside.  The bar booth sure gets lonely when everyone piles outside for a smoke.


NoVA can make the difference (TheGreenMiles - 9/24/2007 1:24:19 PM)
Vertias, that's not exactly true (pun intended).  If those 11 NoVA delegates had voted for the ban, it would be law right now (it passed the Senate).


far be it for me (JScott - 9/24/2007 2:28:15 PM)
Far be it for me to determine what issues are important and what issues are not but if someone is not going to vote for a candidate based on this issue I find that absolutley ridiculous. There ar so many other issues that require our attention right now and in desperate need of solutions this whole debate was merely a distraction in the first place the last two sessions.
Talk about people who seek to have government all up in your grill. From cell phones to cigarettes, whats next we not going to allow people to smoke in their cars because if they sell it to someone else or trade it in it might endanger the next owner.
Here's a thought. Support bars and restaurants to offer smoking to its patrons but have them pay for a permit just like the ABC permit and use the revenues to pay for programs like health services and mental illness programs. Do the math. Most establishments pay about 1,500 a year for the right to sell alcohol on premise, more if off-premise. Let the establishment determine if it cost effective for it to allow smoking and let the patrons decide if they are going to go there and let the employees decide if they are going to work there. Our delegates should be trying to find solutions to paying for what needs to be paid for and not going down the road of restricting peoples access or use of something that has been determined to be a legal endeavor.


A serious health issue (Kindler - 9/24/2007 10:49:09 PM)
BTW, this is not simply a matter of personal preference -- secondhand smoke kills thousands of people every year.  Former Surgeon General Carmona summed up the science in a report in 2006 -- right before the Bush administration kicked him out the door.