Smoking ban too much regulation
How do you argue with physicians, public-health advocates and do-good lawmakers who want to ban smoking in all Montana public places?
They've got the upper hand, the high road, right from the start. Yes, second-hand smoke is bad. Yes, too many people die from smoking-related illnesses.
But still, we oppose the bill from our own Rep. Tim Dowell, D-Kalispell, simply because we believe in freedom of choice.
People can choose to go to the smoky dive bar, or they can go to the healthy juice bar. People can choose to work in either type of environment.
And most importantly, business owners do not need the Legislature telling them how to run their establishments. This legislation would clearly have the greatest impact on casinos and other particular businesses that cater to folks who smoke.
Dowell's bill would establish a new level of regulatory interference - California-style - on Montana businesses. We don't need that.
There's a showdown brewing in Helena, and it's not between Republicans and Democrats.
The coming conflict is between legislative Democrats and Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer.
The newly elected governor has repeatedly said that he will not support new or increased taxes, and even the need for additional tax revenue is questionable considering that the state general fund has a surplus.
Yet legislative Democrats are proposing taxes on beer sales, big box stores, corporate gross receipts, and electronic gambling, among other things.
The fate of those bills has yet to be decided in the Legislature, but supposing they do pass - and there's a good chance some will - where will that put Schweitzer?
We have to wonder if the sponsors of the tax bills have thought two steps ahead, to the time when their legislation lands on the governor's desk.
We have no reason to think that Schweitzer was just kidding when he said no to more taxes. So we have to wonder how this will end.
Will there be a creative compromise of some sort? Or will Schweitzer stick to his guns.
Stay tuned.