Speaker Howell not to stand in way of cigarette ban
By JR Hoeft | Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 | Policy
According to well-placed sources in the Virginia GOP, Speaker Howell told the House Republican Caucus that he will not oppose efforts to a limited ban on smoking in restaurants and bars.
This decision is likely to hand Gov. Tim Kaine a small victory.
Given my ambivalence on this issue, but desire to see the free market take its course (and that some delegates face overwhelming popular support to go forward with the ban) I can’t say I blame the Speaker. But it did come as a surprise.
In related news, Sen. Louise Lucas wants to hand local authorities complete autonomy on banning smoking.
Sen. Mark Obenshain relates in an email update today that he had an exchange with Sen. Lucas that should give everyone pause.
Yesterday, the Senate passed a bill patroned by Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) that gives localities unlimited authority to regulate or ban smoking within their borders. Now, I concede that fair-minded people can disagree about banning smoking in public places, but this goes way too far. Consider my inquiry directed to the patron of this bill, asking whether it “would allow localities to ban smoking anywhere they want, including businesses, including homes, including cars … anywhere?”
“Yes,” responded Sen. Lucas. “It allows a locality to exceed those requirements.”
It’s probably for the children. But it would be nice if Sen. Lucas wouldn’t treat all of us adults that way.
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
Comments
14 Responses to "Speaker Howell not to stand in way of cigarette ban"
This is the free market. The percentage of people who favor smoking bans is right around the percentage of people who aren’t addicted to smoking.
We used to have smoking in every workplace, in cars, in planes…everywhere. Not any more.
I’d love to socialize at night spots more often, but it’s a pain coming home and having every thread of clothing I wore reek of smoke.
I don’t sweat a single moment if someone wants to ban smoking in bars or restaurants. I never had the urge to light something on fire and inhale the smoke. Struck me as a pretty stupid thing to do.
Today’s headline: “Republicans cave on cigarette ban… Democrats lead again!”
I don’t remember hearing any voter say “I’m voting Republican for smoking”
Here in Chicago. our ban is over a year old. As the second winter set in, the hoopla and grandstanding faded away. Many small neighborhood bars are back to normal now. The only complaints have been from neighbors of the bars that comply with the ban due to problems with groups of people congregating in front of them, many who are not customers.
I’m not even a smoker. I hate smoking; I saw my grandfather wither away as a child from collapsed lungs, cancer and bronchitis. But this ban still bothers me. If conservatives generally make a claim that government shouldn’t get involved in the free market, that people know how to make decisions better for themselves then government, then why would you not be pissed at a smoking ban? Its a violation of liberty to tell a private individual that they cannot do what they wish within the premise belonging to another private individual who consents to allow smoking. I agree with bans in public buildings, but not private ones.
The market works in this case. Where I live, the majority of bars and restaurants are voluntarily smoke free because that is what customers want, and these are the establishments that I generally give me business to. But there are also places that cater to smokers. Why should we deny people this choice? If the problem is health costs, well levy a tax on cigarettes equivalent to what the increased public health outlays are due to smoking. Have it set at no less and no more than this amount. This is an easy statistical formula to create, much like how life insurance companies adjust their premiums for smokers based on their increased risk.
If you are going to accept that government should be able to ban this activity of private individuals on private property, then what philosophical justification do you have in argument against any other type of invasive taxation and nanny statism?
EJ for President!
I am also a non-smoker.
I also used to work in a bar. Yes, I knew where that yellow color staining my Tux shirt came from. A fellow non-smoking bartender had to pay smoker health insurance rates due to results of tests that the insuring company insisted on due to his profession. We could have worked elsewhere at the time but, CHOSE, not to. Money and the fun was good to the point that I continued to willingly take that risk. Did I like the smoke? Absolutely not. My customers evidently did though. When I decided to move on to another line of work, it was for better pay and benefits, not to escape the smoke.
It doesn’t matter what percentage favor a smoking ban, a ban on the Bible, a ban on Harry Potter books, nor a ban on Talk Radio. That is called Mob Rule, or true democracy. Thanks to God that we live in a Constitutional Republic that protects the individual from the tyranny of the majority. How long ago did the majority agree with segregation based on skin pigmentation?
The Free Market will eventually make it unprofitable to continue public smoking. As fewer people smoke, fewer will tolerate it in a place of business. In order to maximize profit, private signs will go up that prohibit smoking. Smoking will left to specializing establishments where people choose to engage in lighting fires before their face and enhaling the carcinogenic smoke.
[...] wait – that’s already on the drawing board. This entry was written by vjp and posted on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 11:04 am and filed [...]
[...] we broke last night, Speaker William Howell (R-Stafford) is set to join Gov. Tim Kaine’s effort to ban smoking in [...]
As someone who has never smoked in his life and thinks it is a remarkably bad habit I still think this is so unfathomably stupid on so many levels it defies comprehension. Ignoring for a moment the concept of a business owner getting to choose what he gets to do with respect to his business–choice is only important as a concept to most liberals when it involves killing babies. It is a fact that when you put these smoking bans in place business goes down at bars and restaurants. It happened in New York and it happened in DC and it will happen in VA. So, the geniuses we have in Richmond have decided to go along with a proposal that (a) goes against everything conservatives are supposed to think about the rights of property owners and (b) managed to hurt bar owners and restraunters during a terrible economy. Brilliant!
While I do not smoke (from time to time, I will have the occasional cigar), I believe that the government has no right to interfere with our liberties (smoking is one of those). A smoking ban is another form of the nanny state elitism that
seems to be affecting many of our legislators.
[...] could be debated forever. Those favoring the self regulation of the free market will argue, as Jim Hoeft of Bearing Drift does, that if the majority of people favor smoke-free restaurants, businesses will accomodate [...]
[...] I was joking a few days ago when I said that the Democrats were advocating for stronger smoking regulations “for the children.” [...]
[...] of RPV Executive Committee released a letter today blasting General Assembly for their smoking ban compromise and calling on Republicans to remember the core values of the Party: We Believe: That the free [...]
[...] Speaker Howell not to stand in way of cigarette ban Bearing Posted by root 2 minutes ago (http://bearingdrift.com) I never had the urge to light something on fire and inhale the smoke i 39 m not even a smoker i hate smoking i saw my grandfather wither and oh if you want a pic to show with your comment rockin chrome shadow wordpress classic wordpress default podcast po Discuss | Bury | News | Speaker Howell not to stand in way of cigarette ban Bearing [...]
Leave your response
The comments section is for meaningful discussion. Readers are reminded to post comments that are germane to the article and write in a common language that steers clear of personal attacks and/or vulgarities.
Please take a moment to review our comment policy.