Monday, May 16 2011
By J. Glynne Loope | Cigar Rights of America
As many of you know, Tobacconist University promotes an initiative under the banner of "The Tobacconist Preservation Act." The very name implies a threat to the community tobacconist and cigar shop, in the same vain as any small business on Main Street America may be threatened by forces beyond their control.
As we write and speak weekly about all forms of legislative threat coming from the local, state and federal levels of government, sometimes we have to “get back to basics,” and speak about preserving the sanctity of the local tobacconist, and the ability for CRA members to gather among friends, discussing the issues of the day or what happened with the family last night, over the solitude of a great cigar. Sounds simple, but there are too many communities in America where this thought is now either against the law, or now threatened by new legislative actions.
Enter, the State of Oregon.
Oregon Representative Carolyn Tomei has a problem with hookah lounges. We won't belabor her rational, but she does. As a result, she has introduced
HB 2726, which would activate sweeping changes to Oregon 's smoking laws, specifically as it applies to enjoying a cigar in a community cigar shop.
Like too many such legislative actions, Representative Tomei has provided a solution, for which there is no problem.
Her target is her disdain for hookah lounges, so she drafts a bill that sweeps in cigar shops, under the intent of wanting to target “smoke shops,” which in her opinion, appeal to the youth of Oregon. Meanwhile, because of the lack of legal definition, she paints with the broad brush of legislative intent, an act that would essentially ban the expansion of premium community tobacconists, and potentially and seriously affect the ability to enjoy cigars within the private property of the local cigar shop.
Now, I called her office. It was evident from a staff discussion that the target does not seem to be Oregon 's cigar enthusiasts, but the way the legislation is drafted, it can and does.
The bill has already passed their House, and would need to be changed in the Senate. Efforts are underway to accomplish that, in a state that already has what we consider a friendly statute for cigar bars and smoking exemptions for cigars.
We would like to commend CRA's Oregon-based Ambassador Ed Ryan for working on this bill, and providing true on the ground leadership to reverse this dangerous action.
Click Here to read Ed Ryan's talking points regarding HB 2726.
The point of providing this detail is that this can happen to you, and in this arena, we need a better playbook for victory. Ed's explanation, speaking points, and indicators on negative impact of this legislation is a lesson in what is confronted within communities and states across the nation. We have recently noticed a slate of laws being introduced seeking to regulate hookah lounges and use, dictating that we better define premium tobacconists serving your community. It demands that every bill introduced be reviewed across the nation, just to insure hold harmless language for the community cigar shop.
Contact the membership of the Oregon Senate. Tell them to leave the existing state smoking law alone.
Because Representative Tomei will have to represent her bill as HB 2726 goes to the Senate, call her office, and say “Leave Cigars Alone.”
You, could be next.
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