FeedsAt long last, a breath of fresh air in Lansing
For years, State Sen. Ray Basham (D-Taylor) tried to push through legislation banning smoking in public places.
He talked about health risks associated with second hand smoke, debunked criticism that it would prove a hindrance to the economy and pointed out that many other states had approved similar legislation—all to no avail. His bill remained stalled in committee.
That abruptly changed last week when the Senate put it up for a vote and approved it in a relatively surprising move.
It’s about time.
There will be some grumbling, at first, but we think this is a good thing for the state. It shows that legislators are more concerned with the overall health of citizens than anything else.
That’s what this issue is about: health. It’s not about government stepping in where it doesn’t belong or infringing on the property rights of business owners. Nor is about an attack on the tobacco industry.
This is simply an attempt to make things better for the majority of people who don’t choose to smoke and shouldn’t be subjected to it while they’re out and about.
It’s not official yet. The House of Representatives has to approve the new version of the bill, as well. Legislators there approved a similar bill months ago, but their version included an exemption for casinos that the Senate stripped from the legislation.
That’s a good thing, too. All businesses should be treated equally under this. It will be interesting to see if legislators in the House will agree to that, as well.
This is a good first step in improving the overall health conditions in public places. Now, if we could just do something about smokers littering the streets, sidewalks and parks with their used up butts….
