Bans outside hospitals, inside cars with children are left in committee
Jump to full article: Knoxville (TN) News-Sentinel, 2008-04-23
Author: Tom Humphrey
Intro: Bills to outlaw smoking inside cars and outside hospitals died in a House committee Tuesday with critics contending that they amounted to unwarranted government interference.
State Rep. Richard Floyd sponsored the bill to ban smoking in motor vehicles when children are passengers.
The Chattanooga Republican said he was inspired by a teacher's tales of youngsters arriving at school coughing and with red eyes after riding with smokers.
"They're strapped in and can't help themselves," he said.
But after Floyd's presentation to a subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee, no member of the panel would make the necessary motion for passage of the bill, HB441. That left it dead in the subcommittee, which has now closed for the year.
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