In Michigan, is the will of the people stronger than the MI Restaurant Association on smoking ban
July 25, 2007
In Michigan and just about every other place, people are tired of smokers and their smoking in public places.
That's why the Michigan House of Representatives took a first step in banning smoking in public just about anywhere when it reported House Bills 4163 and 4816 from committee. It's expected to be passed by the Democratic-controlled chamber.
But, the Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop says the smoking prohibition is dead on his side of the State Capitol. His argument is that the state shouldn't put any additional controls on business. The Michigan Restaurant Association is fighting the change, of course.
The question: Can the will of the people in Michigan override the restaurants and the Republican Senate and pass a bill that everybody knows will improve health for just about everybody?
The harm of secondhand smoke is well-documented. And it's known that non-smokers can suffer just as much as smokers when they are exposed to it. The public health costs are phenomenal.
How many e-mails, how many phone calls, how many letters would it take to get Michigan's State Senators to see that this is what the people want.
This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It's a breathing issue. Smoke interferes with that.
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