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Big tobacco gears up

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Illinois

* I told subscribers about this development before the primary. The Trib has its own piece today, but I think they missed some important perspectives…

In the four weeks before the Feb. 5 primary election, two tobacco giants contributed $83,000 to 30 lawmakers. That amount sets a monthly pace that eclipses the industry’s largesse in this state for at least a decade, according to a Tribune review of campaign finance records. About threequarters of that money went to House Democrats. […]

Legislation that could get a hearing as early as Wednesday would carve out exemptions to allow indoor smoking at many bars, riverboat casinos, strip clubs and American Legion halls. Though some House members have been pushing for exemptions to the smoking ban since May, those bills were bottled up until Feb. 6-the day after the primary election-when the powerful-but-obscure House Rules Committee freed up the proposals for consideration.

Rep. Randy Ramey Jr. (RCarol Stream) said he didn’t think his bill, which would lift the smoking ban for thousands of private clubs and businesses, “would see the light of day” considering the anti-smoking fervor that has gripped the Statehouse.

Ramey said it is possible the bill’s fate was helped by campaign contributions Reynolds American made to three committee members just a week before the vote.

The Trib then goes on to list some Rules Committee members who voted to move the bill to a standing committee and who also received campaign contributions from Big Tobacco. The committee moved over a hundred bills out on a single vote, so there’s a suspicion in the article that the tobacco bill was hidden away.

* But here’s what the Tribune doesn’t fully explain. The exemption bill was sent to the House Environmental Health Committee, which is not exactly a pro-smoking bastion. The Trib does note that the committee rejected a casino exemption proposal last year. But it doesn’t explain that only one member on that committee, Rep. Al Riley, received any tobacco cash this cycle. You can bet that this casino exemption proposal is dead on arrival in that committee. The Rules Committee vote, in other words, is most likely no big deal.

* At the end of the story, the Trib talks about the cigarette tax hike that seems much more likely to be brought up this spring. That, I think, is the more important story here, plus the fact that so many House members with serious primary opponents were given contributions by Reynolds American. The tax hike passed the Senate, and Speaker Madigan has said he favors a cigarette tax increase to expand health care. Those contributions were more likely about that vote than the smoking ban exemption.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 8:24 am

Comments

Tic toc, tic toc…….As a 38th District constituent, I will be watching the way Albert votes very closely!

Comment by reasonable 1 Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 10:06 am
RiverBoat revenue down 25% in Jan. from the same time last year. Anti- smoking people are coming up with all kinds of other excuses.
Oh well the economy in Illinois is going gangbuster. And we are so for ahead, state is paying their bill ahead of due dates. NOOOT
This state is run by idiots. What a disaster.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 11:08 am
This is a good example of why corporate campaign contributions should be illegal.

Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 11:20 am
For those out there blaming the smoking ban on the down turn of casino revenue in January, I’ve got news for you; no one will have any clue as to the reasons for many many months of intensive economic research. The economy is way too complex to be able to state that any particular action has a direct effect upon it. It is very possible that some of that downturn in revenue is because of the smoking ban. It’s also just as possible that most of the downturn is because people are very uneasy about the economy (as they should be) and have chosen to use their disposable income in a more prudent fashion than gambling it away.

Let’s get real folks.

Comment by Pro-No Smoke Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 12:16 pm
Well, the elections are over so our legislators can feel free to vote the way their wealthy contributors want them to vote, in a way that
preserves the maximum number of highly paid
state patronage jobs for their loser contributors and relatives who can’t make it in the private sector.

That will likely mean higher taxes on individuals.
The mostly wealthy legislators and their wealthy cronies won’t feel the pinch the way they would
if business taxes increased. And this is all about
the pols, the wealthy, and their relatives and
cronies…nothing to do with the rest of us.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 1:14 pm
I always thought there was only one member of rules committee…

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 2:03 pm
- Pro-No Smoke - You just proved my point. Excuses - excuses

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 3:23 pm
Sigh. I really miss being able to belly up and have a smoke with my beer. There was a compromise to be had here, if the prohibitionists would have played ball. Some of my watering holes are way down. And some restaurants that had the foresight to go smoke-free before the law are angry their competitive edge has been taken away.

God save us from those who would save us from ourselves.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 4:43 pm
The Illinois economy was already in the tank. Couldn’t anyone foresee this disaster and all the lost revenue. Oh well I guess they can continue to raise taxes. What morons. Now they think they are going to raise cigarette taxes.
Indiana and Missouri sure gotta love Illinois.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 13, 08 @ 8:04 pm