Texas you need to act today on hb170!!!!

[kkay59]

Send a Message

Here we go again, with a different bill.

<<<[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](Update - 3/9/2015)

Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 10) at 8 AM, the House Public Health Committee

will hold a hearing on HB 170. This bill would wisely ban sales of vapor products to minors, but like SB 97, it would also implement overbearing rules for online sales of vapor products that would hurt consumers and shut down Texas businesses.
The committee is unlikely to vote on the bill tomorrow, so please keep up the emails and phone calls to members of the Public Health Committee even if you read message after 8 AM on Tuesday.


Please take action NOW to urge the House Public Health Committee to amend this bill.>>>


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[Robino1]

IMPORTANT

Amend HB 170 - Send an Email

 

[kkay59]

Texas Legislature Online - 84(R) History for HB 170

It was left pending in committee. It was not voted on to my knowledge. I don't know where it is going from here. Unless I read it wrong, she did not have any co-sponsors.

<<<H Left pending in committee 03/10/2015
H Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee 03/10/2015
H Committee substitute considered in committee 03/10/2015
H Considered in public hearing 03/10/2015
H Scheduled for public hearing on . . . 03/10/2015 >>>

 

[JustJulie]

New campaign for Texas . . . .

Several bills that would impede consumer access to vapor products are scheduled for a public hearing in the [URL="http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/schedules/pdf/C4102015032408001.PDF"]House Public Health Committee[/URL] on Tuesday, March 24th at 8:00 AM in the Capitol Extension, 2nd floor, room E.012 (Central Gallery - click here for a map). We have Identified HB 170, HB 81, HB 970, and HB 2321 as all containing language that would impact consumer access, choice, and awareness of vapor products. While we oppose those bills, we urge support of HB 647, a common sense bill that only seeks to prohibit sales to minors.


Please take action NOW by sending a message and making a call to your representatives urging them to oppose these bills and adopt an appropriate rule prohibiting sales to minors.

Oppose these bills - Send an Email
Oppose these bills - Make a Call​

For those wishing to testify or otherwise attend the hearing, an organizational meeting will be held on Monday, March 23rd at 7:00PM at:

Driskill Hotel
(Upstairs lounge area)
604 Brazos St
Austin, TX 78701​

This meeting is for anyone interested in testifying or attending the hearing. Remember, even if you are not planning to testify, your attendance is valuable as it demonstrates the large number of people affected by and engaged in this issue.



(Writing Tip #1) If you have a lot to say, please craft your email in a separate word doc and then copy/paste it into the field provided. If you take too long, they system will time out and you will lose your work.

(Writing Tip #2) Although we've provided a prewritten email with compelling talking points, we would strongly encourage you to edit the email because personalized communications to legislators are far more persuasive than form letters. At a minimum, PLEASE INSERT YOUR PERSONAL STORY (just a few sentences) in the text of your email.

Link to Call to Action: CASAA: Texas Call to Action: Take Action to oppose FOUR bills that would limit adult access to vapor products

 

[kkay59]

HB 647

Casaa supports this one? So maybe I am reading the paragraph below incorrectly. This is from an email from Casaa. We have Identified HB 170, HB 81, HB 970, and HB 2321 as all containing language that would impact consumer access, choice, and awareness of vapor products. While we oppose those bills, we urge support of HB 647, a common sense bill that only seeks to prohibit sales to minors.
84(R) HB 647 - Introduced version - Bill Text
<<<SECTION 10. Section 161.086(a), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a retailer or
other person may not:
(1) offer cigarettes, nicotine products, or tobacco
products for sale in a manner that permits a customer direct access
to the cigarettes, nicotine products, or tobacco products>>>

Would this mean that they cannot have samples for customers to try, like most do, along the walls of the store? That would in essence be direct access in my opinion. Although I am not a lawyer, and I am not good with legal language. I do not mind having an age restriction of 18 years old. I don't mind the signs. But not allowing samples to try, would hurt local brick and mortar stores. I am against the other bills, and the section I copied and pasted here from HB647. Maybe this was updated after Casaa supported this bill. I don't know for sure. Maybe someone could enlighten me.

 

[kkay59]

I just finished sending my thoughts to them. I deleted the pre done form letter, and filled it with my thoughts. I hope they read every word of it. It was pretty darn good, if I may say so, myself...lol.

 

[JustJulie]

We make the emails completely editable for a reason . . . we want people to feel free to share their own thoughts with their lawmakers, although we do hope that the emails will be respectful.

As a practical matter, I doubt that HB 647 is going to progress, but, yes, we support that bill as a workable alternative to the other legislation being considered. Frankly, we would prefer to have a provision that allows an exemption for a shop that prohibits access to persons under the age of 18, which allows shops a choice as to how to handle their business, and that's something that could be offered as an amendment if the bill does move forward . . . which we don't expect it will.

But if nothing else, this puts pressure on the sponsors of the other bills to offer reasonable amendments.

 

[kkay59]

Julie, my message to them was very respectful, not to worry. I usually keep the pre post, and then add my own. But I had so much to say, I was afraid they wouldn't read it, unless it was shortened. I also know that a lot of them will just skip over the same form letter. But I think they will read personal thoughts. I think you would be thrilled if you had my message in your hands.

UPDATE from email that was sent to me:<<<


Sincere apologies for mixing up the dates on today's TX call to action. The correct information for the organizational meeting is as follows:
For those wishing to testify or otherwise attend the hearing, an organizational meeting will be held on Monday, March 23rd at 7:00PM at:

Driskill Hotel
(Upstairs lounge area)
604 Brazos St
Austin, TX 78701


This meeting is for anyone interested in testifying or attending the hearing. Remember, even if you are not planning to testify, your attendance is valuable as it demonstrates the large number of people affected by and engaged in this issue.

- http://blog.casaa.org/2015/03/texas-call-to-action-take-action-to.html>>>

 

[JustJulie]

Kkay, I have no doubt your message was respectful. And you're right about the chances of them actually reading an email are diminished when it is a form letter (which is why we encourage people to edit to share their stories and their own thoughts).

On the other hand, the sheer number of emails can make a difference, especially when we're matching people with the specific legislators they vote for, which is why we push for strong participation in these Calls to Action.

 

[kkay59]

Agreed on all counts. Like I said, I usually keep the form letter, then ADD my personal comments. Just a few personal words/paragraph help, in my opinion. I knew they were getting a bunch of these letters, so I decided in this one case, to write strictly personal thoughts. Sheer numbers are urgently needed, with extra wording, or not. That I would also agree with. People your rights are in extreme danger. Don't procrastinate, and don't think it won't matter. We need each and every voice here.

 

[kkay59]

Texas Legislature Online - 84(R) Actions for HB 647

So does anyone know what happened? (HB647/HB170) Who was there? If you were able to go, please post the results.

 

[JustJulie]

(Update - 03/30/2015)


The discussion about prohibiting sales of vapor products to minors in Texas will continue on Monday, March 30th in the House Public Health Committee. Over the past week, a substantial amount of work has been done to bring a bill to the table that would ban sales to minors without imposing unnecessary barriers to adult access.


At this time, there is no one bill in particular we are recommending for our members to support, although we understand there are several amendments being considered that would address at least some of the concerns that we have.


We are asking that you contact your legislators to let them know of your concerns so that the issues that are important to us as consumers are taken into account as amendments are being offered.

• Take Action - Send an Email

 

[kkay59]

Julie, I couldn't see a message. So I am going to quote the entire part of the email I just read from CASAA.
<<<
Monday, March 30, 2015
Texas Call to Action: Take Action to oppose FOUR bills that would limit adult access to vapor products
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

(Update - 03/30/2015)


The discussion about prohibiting sales of vapor products to minors in Texas will continue on Monday, March 30th in the House Public Health Committee. Over the past week, a substantial amount of work has been done to bring a bill to the table that would ban sales to minors without imposing unnecessary barriers to adult access.


At this time, there is no one bill in particular we are recommending for our members to support, although we understand there are several amendments being considered that would address at least some of the concerns that we have.


We are asking that you contact your legislators to let them know of your concerns so that the issues that are important to us as consumers are taken into account as amendments are being offered.

• Take Action - Send an Email

>>>

 

[kkay59]

Oh, now I see why I didn't see the message part in your post Julie. On the quick style chooser at the bottom, my background is black. I use ECF2 Darkened. I changed it to see if that is the problem, it was. So if they can't read your message, they will be able to read mine now.