Electronic Cigarettes Not Likely To Be Added To State Smoking Ban

Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s recommendations for inclusion of e-cigarettes in the state’s smoking ban almost certainly won’t be included in legislation regulating the vaping industry. 

Zoeller made regulating e-cigarettes one of his priorities this session.  And while proposed legislation aims to regulate the makers and sellers of e-liquids, which are used in e-cigs, the bill does nothing regarding e-cigarettes themselves. 

Both of Zoeller’s recommendations – imposing an excise tax on e-cigs and including e-cigs in the statewide smoking ban – were waved away by House and Senate lawmakers. Speaker Brian Bosma says it will stay that way.

“It certainly wasn’t part of the first half in either chamber and I think that’s a pretty good indicator that it might not be part of the final package either,” Bosma said.

Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane says he’s surprised lawmakers aren’t paying more attention to Zoeller and says proponents of the statewide smoking ban should be concerned.

“Now you have to worry, ‘Oh, we don’t have to worry about standard cigarettes but here’s the alternative and now we have to abide with those when we really don’t even know the impacts at this point,” Lanane said.

Lanane says he may introduce an amendment to the e-liquids bill putting e-cigarettes in the smoking ban.