Earlier this week, I had an email interview with Del. John Cosgrove (R-78), regarding why he carried legislation this year to ban smoking in restaurants and bars in Virginia. His response is instructive as to why no legislator in southern Hampton Roads voted against the smoking ban. This bill is now en route to the governor’s desk for signature.
“I have voted against imposing a smoking ban in restaurants for the last four years as a member of the General Laws, ABC, Tobacco, and Gaming Sub-committee. But I also talked to many of my constituents over a few years, and the overwhelming feeling of the people I represent is that there should be some kind of restriction on smoking in public places…especially restaurants. While I have some mixed emotions about the smoking ban, I am elected to represent the interests of my constituents, and I feel obligated to vote as they would have me vote in their place as their representative.
“I was asked by a very conservative Republican why I would not, in the past, support even a limited smoking ban when it was obvious that my constituents expected me to do so. I thought about that for a while and had the revelation that to continue to thwart the will of those who send me to Richmond is the height of arrogance and is an abrogation of the duties that I owe the people of the 78th House district.
“I agreed to carry the compromise bill that will restrict smoking in restaurants that do not have a separate, ventilated area for smoking. Please be clear on this point: smoking in restaurants will still be permitted. It just must be separated from the non-smoking area. In addition, there are many exemptions in the bill for private facilities, clubs, and tobacco stores.
“The compromise bill is a huge step away from what the Governor wanted – and has tried to have instituted in the past. The bill that passed the Senate banned smoking in almost all public and private places with very few exceptions. I have voted against this type of ban and would have voted against that type of ban this year as well.”
