More Heat than Light...

The Senate Committee hearing yesterday on SB150 generated a lot of heat according to reports. Senator Risser, D-Madison, and Rep. Wieckert, R-Appleton, were the heavy lifters for this proposed bill that would eliminate smoking in all workplaces, including the smoking lounges of tobacconists.

Risser stated that “society” had the obligation of protecting workers from second-hand smoke, and Wieckert pushed the theme of helping to curtail health care costs as being an important result of this bill.

These hearings tend to be lopsided in favor of the proponents, so this theater was not totally unexpected.

Much work remains to be done if we are to save our smoking lounges so we can enjoy “first-hand smoke” when and where we choose. There can be little doubt that incremental change will simply continue to occur until one day we find ourselves on the outside looking in. The absurdity is borne out by the fact that California is now considering banning smoking in apartments, condominiums and so forth to protect the non-smoking occupants from second-hand smoke. The day could come when we’ll not be permitted to smoke anywhere other than in the middle of the woods…and that isn’t even assured since the animals would be adversely affected in the minds of many who would protect “society” from itself.