Thursday, August 2, 2012

Smoke Free Kentucky Coalition's multi-city tour launches push for statewide smoking ban in 2013 legislature

Backers of an effort to ban smoking in all public places in Kentucky took their message on the road this week in hopes of getting legislation passed in the 2013 General Assembly. The Smoke Free Kentucky Coalition swept through the state's largest cities to gather support for a final punch to be delivered at the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in Graves County on Saturday. Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that one of the week's first stops was at the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, a longtime supporter of the statewide smoking ban. "We know that a majority of Kentuckians support a smoke-free Kentucky," said Amy Barkley, chairwoman of the coalition. (KRT graphic)

Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, has sponsored a statewide smoking ban for several years. During the 2012 legislative session, the House Health and Welfare Committee passed the measure, but the full House did not vote on it. Westrom told the Herald-Leader that said she did not aggressively pursue the matter during the 2012 session because all 100 members of the House are up for re-election in November. "But we've had several members who have said that they will be co-sponsors" next year, she said.

Musgrave notes that even Westrom is unsure how the the Republican-led Senate will vote. Senate President David Williams has said he supports the idea of a statewide smoking ban, while opponents of the proposal have said it represents an overreach of government power. "There are personal property rights that are being trampled," Rep. Ben Waide, R-Madisonville, said when he voted against a statewide smoking ban in March.

3 comments:

  1. Since no democrats will be at the the FUNNY FARM cookout/picnic its really a wasted trip for Susan Westrom and the rest of this rag tag Bankrupted grant sponging band of Gypsies!

    50 folks in Somerset where the smoking ban was slam dunked thru by a group of councilmen as leftist as the gypsies in this caravan is a real showing of how little the public actually supports any statewide ban,much less the ban in Somerset.

    Hopefully this is your last hoorah!

    You have no money to do anything else......unless pharma and the ACS is funding it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Does the term "'swept through" legitimately describe, driving past people who for the most part didn't know what they were up to? while those who did, shouted them down as the majority opinion, being denied in this paid advertisement by these bigots and fascists?

    Government has no right making the rules on PRIVATE property, when a sign on the door is sufficient, not unless we all woke up in Russia this morning. This is only a "Health" issue, if you consider the Health of the hateful Libernazi organizations selling this swill, is important.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Does the term "'swept through" legitimately describe, driving past people who for the most part didn't know what they were up to? while those who did, shouted them down as the majority opinion, being denied in this paid advertisement by these bigots and fascists?

    Government has no right making the rules on PRIVATE property, when a sign on the door is sufficient, not unless we all woke up in Russia this morning. This is only a "Health" issue, if you consider the Health of the hateful Libernazi organizations selling this swill, is important.

    ReplyDelete