Clear the Air

HB2855, introduced today, would allow any bar or restaurant that serves alcohol in West Virginia to ignore local clean indoor regulations and permit smoking in their establishments. Passage of this legislation would remove protections in place already in every county in the state.

The proposed legislation has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Opponents of this bill should contact House Judiciary Committee members NOW by telephone urging them to vote NO on HB2855.  Committee members are:

Delegate Webster - Chair
Delegate Miley - Vice-Chair
Delegate Ellem - Minority Chair
Delegate Lane - Minority Vice-Chair
Delegate Barker
Delegate Brown
Delegate Caputo
Delegate Ferro
Delegate Fleischauer
Delegate Frazier
Delegate Hunt
Delegate Hutchins
Delegate Longstreth
Delegate Michael
Delegate Moore
Delegate Shook
Delegate Susman
Delegate Tabb
Delegate Wells
Delegate Wooton
Delegate Hamilton
Delegate Overington
Delegate Schadler
Delegate Schoen
Delegate Sobonya

You can identify your members and their Capitol phone number by entering your zip code here. Legislators need to hear there is a large amount of grassroots opposition to this legislation.

Please make your phone call today - even if you do not personally reach your legislators leave them a message requesting that they OPPOSE HB2855.

Tags: 2009 Session, Action Alert, clean indoor air, West Virginia Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Thursday, February 26th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

HB2855 - Permitting the holder of a license to sell nonintoxicating liquors to determine the use or nonuse of tobacco products on the licensees’ premises.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, clean indoor air, West Virigina Legislature

Today the West Virginia House of Delegates passed out Committee Substitute for HB2360 which prohibits the sale of cigarettes in anything other than its original factory wrapped packaging and only in packs of no fewer than twenty.

This bill previously had been amended by the House Judiciary Committee to remove all tobacco products other than cigarettes. While the bill has merit by addressing the issue of single cigarette sales the exclusion of other tobacco products from coverage under this legislation is disappointing. This is particularly true as the tobacco industry works to establish new products.

The bill now goes to the West Virginia Senate for consideration.

Tags: tobacco control, West Virginia Legislature, youth access