South Carolina House of Reps including e-cig in smoking ban

[rons29445]

Bill Information - South Carolina Legislature Online

You folks from South Carolina need to contact your House Representative and have then get this clarified.
They are simply adding e-cigs without the benefit if knowing how they work.

I have already sent an email to mine and plan on calling on him personally today.

South Carolina Legislature Online

 

[rons29445]

As a followup.
I contacted my House Rep by phone and had a nice conversation with him.
It appears that one of the co-writers of this lives local to me and is an acquaintance. (I did not know he became a House Rep for another district).

I learned that this bill is in committee and offered to meet with them to show them what an e-cig is.
House Rep Crosby stated that he shares his house table and office with House Rep Daning and will talk with him.
We shall see.

Folks from South Carolina are urged to contact your local House Representative and let them know to NOT include the Electronic Cigarette in this bill.

Links are posted above

 

[scinsc]

Thank you Rons for the heads up. My keyboard is on fire right now.
Please add a link to the SC forum. Thanks.

 

[rons29445]

Here is a link to the bill in its entirety

2011-2012 Bill 3109: Smoking - South Carolina Legislature Online

 

[Pokeygizmo]

Email sent to my rep to be followed-up with a snail-mail.
Thanks for linking this to the SC subforum, Nightseer, I might have missed it otherwise!

 

[salemgold]

I am on it!

 

[rons29445]

House Rep Daning called me this morning and we had a nice talk. He claimed that he was not aware of the E-cigs being attached to the bill. He asked that I email him all of the literature I can to help support our claims as to why E-cigs should not be included in this proposed Bill.
What is most important is that, those of you from South Carolina need to voice your concerns to your local House Rep.

 

[rons29445]

Stunning. Read the Bill yourselves. It's obvious that electronic cigarettes are a major thrust of it. To deny awareness of content of any Bill you co-sponsor is beyond the pail.

I agree. When he said that, I was asking myself what would someone be doing agreeing to propose a law without reading it.
But remember, South Carolina is a tobacco state regardless what some want you to believe
This is why it is so important to make your voices heard.

 

[salemgold]

Does anyone know where those sample letters are located? I have seen them before but am not able to find them now. That would be helpful for many of us.

 

[rons29445]

I just received a phone call from Rep Joe Daning who was the Co-Sponsor of the South Carolina HB.3109 and he advised me that he was removing his name as Co-Sponsor. He spoke with Rep Skelton and Rep Skelton was opposed to an amendment to remove the E-Cigs from the ban. So without a Co-Sponsor. I do not know where the entire bill would stand.

 

[scinsc]

I just received a phone call from Rep Joe Daning who was the Co-Sponsor of the South Carolina HB.3109 and he advised me that he was removing his name as Co-Sponsor. He spoke with Rep Skelton and Rep Skelton was opposed to an amendment to remove the E-Cigs from the ban. So without a Co-Sponsor. I do not know where the entire bill would stand.

Thanks for the update. I think it's time to write Rep. Skelton.

 

[rons29445]

Here is the link to his page.
I sent him my thoughts this morning

South Carolina Legislature Online

 

[scinsc]

Here is the link to his page.
I sent him my thoughts this morning

South Carolina Legislature Online

Sent one also. Every one of us needs to get real vocal about this. If you want to get some motivation read what The State had in it's blurb about the NY ban. "Currenly, children can buy the plastic devices, which contain nicotine and aren't covered by indoor smoking bans". My blood is boiling.

 

[Placebo Effect]

I will be working hard to stop this ban. Thank you rons for contacting Joe Daning!

 

[Placebo Effect]

List of those representatives on the Judiciary Committee can be found here. Just like in NY, these are the legislators that we need to target. I've been told that the representatives will be going into session today at 1 PM Eastern, and tomorrow at 10 AM Eastern, so anyone who is available between 9 AM and 10 AM tomorrow, that is your best bet.

South Carolina Legislature Online

 

[Pokeygizmo]

I have attempted to email all the members of the Judiciary Committee, but their "contact system" keeps freezing and I've only gotten about 1/3 through the list. I will continue to try and get my letter out to the remaining members this evening...

Don't you just love The State? I know I do. NOT!

 

[Pokeygizmo]

Do we have time before this is acted upon to send snail mail??? This is the actual response I got from Rep. Rutherford to my email:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Due to the high number of messages received, these messages are not reviewed. I encourage residents of my district to contact me via telephone at my State House office (803) 734-9441.
You can research issues and legislation at the legislature’s website at South Carolina Legislature Online .

Most of the canned replies I've received so far indicate to call the Rep only if you're from his district...any advice on that? Call anyways or would that be hurting the cause? My district's representative is not on the judicary committee but I've already emailed him (unsuccessfully) and snail-mailed him, as well.

Sheesh, what a tough crowd. It's almost as if they're trying to make it this hard to have our voice heard, intentionally .

P.S. -- Saw a new co-sponsor's name on the bill, Toole.

 

[MoonRose]

It becomes clearer by the day that for the most part, those that are supposed to be representing us and what we the people want, only want to see or hear from us during election time and only if we are going to vote for them. Other than that time, they don't want to hear a peep out of us.

 

[afrazier5]

Utah included e-cigs in our clean air act over the summer. So everywhere that tobacco smoking products are banned, now so are electronics.

 

[Placebo Effect]

Do we have time before this is acted upon to send snail mail??? This is the actual response I got from Rep. Rutherford to my email:

It appears that we do, but don't hesitate to act.

Call your representative's office and try to meet with him or her face-to-face. I'd recommend stressing that you and other vapers practice common courtesy when using an e-cigarette, and that absent a sound public health reasoning (as one could make with long-term exposure to cigarette smoke for employees), there is no rational reason to take the choice to allow e-cigarettes away private business owners.

If you can, bring a copy of Dr. Michael Siegel's study, as well as CASAA's 8 Myths About the Electronic Cigarette.