Legislator pushes bill for fire-safe cigarettes
From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Help  

Legislator pushes bill for fire-safe cigarettes

Date: February 3, 2009
By: Brian Jarvis
State Capitol Bureau
Links: HB205

Intro: The cigarette debate took a new turn before a Missouri House committee on Tuesday. Brian Jarvis has more from Jefferson City.

RunTime:1:32
OutCue: SOC

Bolivar Representative Mike Parson is sponsoring a bill to impose fire-safety regulations on cigarettes.  

He told the Special House Committee on General Laws that cigarettes can be manufactured to burn out on their own after being discarded.

Missouri Association of Fire Chiefs Executive Director Rich Lehmann spoke on the bill's behalf. 

Actuality:  LEHMANN.WAV
Run Time: 00:16
Description: My wife had smoked for many years. My mother-in-law smokes, and they've both caught things on fire. And that's not good. So this is an important bill, I think, and from that standpoint I think it's a very effective bill for us to make sure we can reduce these things very quickly and easily.

Parson says 37 states have adopted similar bills.

From the capital, I'm Brian Jarvis. 

Intro: A lobbyist told a Missouri House Committee "Not So Fast" on a bill that would impose fire-safety regulations on cigarettes. Brian Jarvis has more from Jefferson City.  

RunTime:
OutCue: SOC More than a half-dozen witnesses spoke before a Missouri House Committee on Tuesday in favor of a bill that would make cigarettes "fire-safe." They say cigarettes can be manufactured safely and cheaply to burn out on their own after being discarded. But small business lobbyist Andy Arnold said the bill gives regulators too much authority.
Actuality:  ARNOLD.WAV
Run Time: 00:12
Description: Section 320362 allows the unfettered search and seizure and destruction of cigarettes. We adamantly oppose that. There's no warrant provisions, there's no due process provisions. There's nothing.

Arnold is working with House Representative Michael Parson of Bolivar to amend the bill. From the capital, I'm Brian Jarvis.