Editorial: Smoking bans: Legislature should respect local decisions

Publication Date: 2013-06-01

• Author: Journal editorial board
• Publication:Winston-Salem Journal

Legislative service can be intoxicating. Elected to serve, legislators can get the sense that solutions to all of the state’s troubles are within their grasp.

That’s when legislators often overstep their bounds.

State Sens. Buck Newton, Brent Jackson and Andrew Brock apparently don’t like that many local governments and community colleges have banned outdoor smoking. They’re the primary sponsors of a bill that would have the legislature supersede all of these local decisions in one fell swoop. Fortunately, the legislature did not find the time to accommodate them.

Senate Bill 703 said that no local government or community college could have an anti-smoking ordinance stricter than state anti-smoking laws. Because state law does not cover outdoor smoking, his bill would have wiped out anti-smoking measures enacted by county boards of commissioners, city councils and community-college administrations....

Legislative leaders should respect local decision-making and not allow this bill to see the light of day again. Many a conservative politician has ranted about heavy-handed lawmaking from Raleigh, legislating that supersedes local decisions. Here is a chance to live by that conservative principle.

When it comes to smoking bans, local decisions should be respected.