Clear the Air

HB2932 would require smoking regulations by local boards of health to gain approval from county commissions, and in some cases city councils, in order to become effective.

This legislation will politicize every proposed change in local clean indoor air regulations across the state and severely undermine the foundation of public health policy in West Virginia.

This bill was sponsored by Senators Delegates Tim Manchin, Linda Longstreth and Mike Caputo and passed the  Political Subdivisions Committee yesterday on a voice vote. It now will be sent to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

Boards of health are unique. As regulatory bodies they combine use of scientific data, local administration of public health policy, inclusion of experts and citizens, and a structure that sets the board one degree apart from the political establishment. This last point is critical - decisions regarding the prevention of disease and protecting the community from serious public health threats are too important to be mired in political battles.

If you are concerned with protecting public health in West Virginia should contact House Judiciary Committee members by telephone or email urging them to OPPOSE HB2932. It’s best to do both - place a phone call and a follow-up email. You may contact your other members as well but the priority right now are the following Delegates:

Delegate Webster - Chair - (304) 340-3252
 cwebste1@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Miley - Vice-Chair - (304) 340-3248
timmiley@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Ellem - Minority Chair - (304) 340-3394
ellem@wirefire.com
Delegate Lane - Minority Vice-Chair - (304) 340-3275
patlane@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Barker - (304) 340-3149
barker100@verizon.net
Delegate Brown - (304) 340-3106
bbrown1@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Caputo -(304) 340-3249
caputo@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Ferro - (304) 340-3111
mtferro@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Fleischauer - (304) 340-3169
barbaraf@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Frazier - (304) 340-3396
jfrazier@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Hunt - (304) 340-3392
mhunt@markahunt.com
Delegate Hutchins - (304) 340-3270
thutch@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Longstreth - (304) 340-3124
llongstr@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Michael - (304) 340-3340
Harold@hardynet.com
Delegate Moore - (304) 340-3189
cmoore@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Shook - (304) 340-3173
ashook@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Susman - (304) 340-3183
ssusman@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Tabb - (304) 340-3274
rtabb@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Wells - (304) 340-3287
dwells@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Wooton - (304) 340-3164
wrwooton@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Hamilton - (304) 340-3167
bhamilt@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Overington - (304) 340-3148
john@overington.com
Delegate Schadler - (304) 340-3191
rschadler@comcast.net
Delegate Schoen - (304) 340-3141
pschoen@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Sobonya - (304) 340-3175
ksobonya@mail.wvnet.edu

You can identify your other 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 HB2932.

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

The House Political Subdivision Committee ran out of time and did not take up HB2932. The Committee Chair, Tim Manchin, announced at the end of today’s meeting that the committee will meet again on Thursday at 4 P.M. at which time HB2932 will be taken up.

See the post below for the members of the Political Subdivision Comittee and contact them to OPPOSE HB2932.

Tags: Action Alert, clean indoor air, Legislative Action

Introduced today in the West Virginia House of Delegates was HB2932 which would require smoking regulations by local boards of health to gain approval from county commissions, and in some cases city councils, in order to become effective.  This bill is sponsored by Senators Delegates Tim Manchin, Linda Longstreth and Mike Caputo.

The proposed legislation has been referred to the Political Subdivisions Committee and then to the Judiciary Committee.

This bill will politicize every proposed change in local clean indoor air regulations across the state and severely undermines the foundation of public health policy in West Virginia.

As stated in the post here yesterday:

Boards of health are unique. As regulatory bodies they combine use of scientific data, local administration of public health policy, inclusion of experts and citizens, and a structure that sets the board one degree apart from the political establishment. This last point is critical - decisions regarding the prevention of disease and protecting the community from serious public health threats are too important to be mired in political battles.

If you are concerned with protecting public health in West Virginia should contact House Political Subdivision Committee members by telephone or email urging them to OPPOSE HB2932. It’s best to do both - place a phone call and a follow-up email. You may contact your other members as well.

House Political Subdivision Members:

Delegate Manchin - Chair - (304) 340-3166
tmanchin@manchin-aloi.com
Delegate Beach - Vice-Chair - (304) 340-3153
rbeach@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Sumner - Minority Chair - (304) 340-3180
lsumner@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Cowles - Minority Vice-Chair - (304) 340-3177
dcowles@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Cann - (304) 340-3118
whocann@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Doyle - (304) 340-3184
jhndoyle@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Fragale - (304) 340-3114
rfragale@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Hartman -  (304) 340-3178
whartman@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Lawrence - (304) 340-3152
lawrencefordelegate@hotmail.com
Delegate Longstreth - (304) 340-3124
llongstr@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Louisos - (304) 340-3170
tlouisos@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Miley - (304) 340-3248
timmiley@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Poling, D. - (304) 340-3137
dpoling@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Ross - (304) 340-3145
mikeross@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Susman - (304) 340-3183
ssusman@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Tabb - (304) 340-3274
rtabb@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Varner - (304) 340-3187
svarner@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Williams - (304) 340-3160
lwillia1@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Anderson - (304) 340-3168
eanders1@mail.wvnet.edu
Delegate Duke - (304) 340-3151
waltduke47@aol.com
Delegate Ellem - (304) 340-3394
ellem@wirefire.com
Delegate Miller, J. - (304) 340-3147
jonathan@delegatejmiller.com
Delegate Overington - (304) 340-3148
john@overington.com
Delegate Schadler - (304) 340-3191
rschadler@comcast.net
Delegate Shott - (304) 340-3179
jhshott@mail.wvnet.edu

Please make your phone call today - even if you do not personally reach your legislators leave them a message requesting that they OPPOSE HB2932.

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

On Tuesday, March 3rd, the Senate version of the tobacco tax bill (SB420) which was recommended by an interim committee will be introduced. As the House version of the bill (HB2746), this bill calls for a 65 cent per pack increase in the excise tax on cigarettes and a raise from 7 percent of the wholesale price to 14 percent for all other tobacco products. This bill is sponsored by Senators Prezioso, Foster, Stollings, Kessler, Jenkins and McCabe.

Senators Roman Prezioso, Ron Stollings & Dan Foster

Senators Evan Jenkins, Jeffrey Kessler & Brooks McCabe

The proposed legislation will be single referenced to to Senate Finance Committee.

The tax legislation is part of a package of bills recommended by Select Committee D after a year-long study of health care in West Virginia. Passage of the tax is essential to funding other proposed pieces of this package.

More importantly, raising the tobacco excise tax in West Virginia will reduce the number of young people who begin using tobacco products and will serve as a huge incentive for current tobacco users to quit. Research shows an overall 4 percent reduction in tobacco use with every ten percent increase in the price of the product.

Supporters of this bill should contact Senate Finance Committee members by telephone or email urging their support of the tobacco tax legislation (SB420). It’s best to do both - place a phone call and a follow-up email.

Finance Committee Members:

Senator Helmick - Chair - (304) 357-7980
walt.helmick@wvsenate.gov
Senator McCabe - Vice-Chair - (304) 357-7990
brooks.mccabe@wvsenate.gov
Senator Bowman - (304) 357-7918
jason.wazelle@wvsenate.gov
Senator Chafin - (304) 357-7808
truman.chafin@wvsenate.gov
Senator Edgell - (304) 357-7827
larry.edgell@wvsenate.gov
Senator Facemire - (304) 357-7845
douglas.facemire@wvsenate.gov
Senator Fanning - (304) 357-7867
john.fanning@wvsenate.gov
Senator Green - (304) 357-7831
mike.green@wvsenate.gov
Senator Plymale - (304) 357-7937
robert.plymale@wvsenate.gov
Senator Prezioso - (304) 357-7961
roman.prezioso@wvsenate.gov
Senator Unger - (304) 357-7933
john.unger@wvsenate.gov
Senator Wells - (304) 357-7841
erik.wells@wvsenate.gov
Senator White - (304) 357-7906
randy.white@wvsenate.gov
Senator Boley - (304) 357-7905
donnaboley@suddenlink.net
Senator Facemyer - (304) 357-7855
karen.facemyer@wvsenate.gov
Senator Guills - (304) 357-7959
jesse.guills@wvsenate.gov
Senator Sypolt - (304) 357-7914
davesypolt@wvsenate.com
 
These members need to hear there is a large amount of grassroots support to provide this important legislation the momentum it will need to be considered.

Please make your phone call today - even if you do not personally reach your legislators leave them a message requesting that they support the tobacco tax bill (SB420).

Tags: Action Alert, Excise Taxes, Legislative Action

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

On Monday, February 23rd, the tobacco tax bill which was recommended by an interim committee will be introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates. The bill will call for a 65 cent per pack increase in the excise tax on cigarettes and a raise from 7 percent of the wholesale price to 14 percent for all other tobacco products.

The proposed legislation will be referred to the Health and Human Resources Committee and then to Finance.

The tax legislation is part of a package of bills recommended by Select Committee D after a year-long study of health care in West Virginia. Passage of the tax is essential to funding other proposed pieces of this package.

More importantly, raising the tobacco excise tax in West Virginia will reduce the number of young people who begin using tobacco products and will serve as a huge incentive for current tobacco users to quit. Research shows an overall 4 percent reduction in tobacco use with every ten percent increase in the price of the product.

Supporters of this bill should contact House members on Monday by telephone urging their support of the tobacco tax legislation (HB2746). 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 support to provide this important legislation the momentum it will need to be considered.

Please make your phone call today - even if you do not personally reach your legislators leave them a message requesting that they support the tobacco tax bill (HB2746).

Tags: 2009 Session, Action Alert, tobacco tax, West Virginia Legislature