Driving Government Vehicles
On Wednesday, State Senator Scott McCoy (D-Salt Lake) introduced a bill that should make all freedom loving Americans shudder (HT - The Senate Site).
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 41-6a-1716 is enacted to read: 41-6a-1716. Smoking in vehicle prohibited when child is present
-- Penalty --
Enforcement.
(1) As used in this section, "smoking" has the same meaning as defined in Section 26-38-2 .
(2) Smoking is prohibited in a motor vehicle if a child who is less than five years of age is restrained or is required to be restrained in a child restraint device in the vehicle in accordance with Section 41-6a-1803 .
(3) A person who violates this section is guilty of an infraction and is subject to a maximum fine of $45.
(4) The court may suspend the fine for a violation of this section if:
(a) the person has not previously been convicted of a violation of this section; and
(b) the person proves to the court that the person has enrolled in a smoking cessation
program.
(5) Enforcement of this section by a state or local law enforcement officer shall be only as a secondary action when the vehicle has been detained for a suspected violation by any person in the vehicle of Title 41, Motor Vehicles, other than this section, or for another offense.S. (6) A violation of this section may not be used as a basis for or evidence of child abuse or neglect as defined in Section 62A-4a-402. .S
The Senate Site also posts a You Tube Video of Senator McCoy and Senator trying to justify this assualt on private property rights!
Oh where to start...where to start... How about with this....
Well first off Senator, it is a proven fact that automobile accidents KILL KIDS. There is still plenty of debate on whether second hand smoke kills anyone. I want to go to one specific quote from one of the links provided.
Emphasis mine. However, the most laughable comment came out of Senator Michael Waddoups R-Taylorsville (heads up Senator....if all goes as planned, I WILL be your constituent in a few very short weeks).
Obviously Senator Waddoups you have never had a D.A.R.E graduate in YOUR house. The Junion Logician (bless his heart) has been the driving force behind getting the Logical Husband to FINALLY quit smoking (I quit 16 years ago FYI). However it is this comment that got my goat the most.
Why should we believe you when you say you will not come into our bedrooms? Our automobiles, like our homes ARE PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY! By passing this bill you have already shown a propensity to only honor private property if it suits the politically correct agenda you are pushing. The only time that the government should be concerned about the activities that a citizen is engaged in (when he or she is driving on the roads) is if he/she is engaging in activities that put OTHER DRIVERS IN DANGER. If smoking while driving is so very dangerous then why not prohibit ALL drivers from smoking behind the wheel.
Better yet - I will repeat what I have said all along (during the debate over the MN smoking ban)...if smoking is such a hazard to human health then ban the sale of cigarettes ALTOGETHER! Make them as illegal to possess as marijuana or heroin is. However, we all know that will never happen in a million years because our government (state and federal) is too addicted to the tax dollars that tobacco sales brings in.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 41-6a-1716 is enacted to read: 41-6a-1716. Smoking in vehicle prohibited when child is present
-- Penalty --
Enforcement.
(1) As used in this section, "smoking" has the same meaning as defined in Section 26-38-2 .
(2) Smoking is prohibited in a motor vehicle if a child who is less than five years of age is restrained or is required to be restrained in a child restraint device in the vehicle in accordance with Section 41-6a-1803 .
(3) A person who violates this section is guilty of an infraction and is subject to a maximum fine of $45.
(4) The court may suspend the fine for a violation of this section if:
(a) the person has not previously been convicted of a violation of this section; and
(b) the person proves to the court that the person has enrolled in a smoking cessation
program.
(5) Enforcement of this section by a state or local law enforcement officer shall be only as a secondary action when the vehicle has been detained for a suspected violation by any person in the vehicle of Title 41, Motor Vehicles, other than this section, or for another offense.S. (6) A violation of this section may not be used as a basis for or evidence of child abuse or neglect as defined in Section 62A-4a-402. .S
The Senate Site also posts a You Tube Video of Senator McCoy and Senator trying to justify this assualt on private property rights!
Oh where to start...where to start... How about with this....
"We had the foresight and the where with all to say you have to have your child strapped in a car seat, to protect them against a hypothetical, potential harm from an automobile accident yet uh there are some that would have us say we won't protect them from a known present danger of second hand smoke if someone lights up a cigarette..."
Well first off Senator, it is a proven fact that automobile accidents KILL KIDS. There is still plenty of debate on whether second hand smoke kills anyone. I want to go to one specific quote from one of the links provided.
The question of whether or not ETS exposure is high enough to induce and/or promote the carcinogenic effects observed in epidemiological studies thus remains open, and the assumption of an increased risk of lung cancer due to ETS exposure is, at present, more a matter of opinion than of firm scientific
evidence.
Emphasis mine. However, the most laughable comment came out of Senator Michael Waddoups R-Taylorsville (heads up Senator....if all goes as planned, I WILL be your constituent in a few very short weeks).
As a child you really have no say so in what's going on...you don't tell tell 'em where to turn, you don't tell 'em how fast to drive, and you don't tell 'em not to smoke.
Obviously Senator Waddoups you have never had a D.A.R.E graduate in YOUR house. The Junion Logician (bless his heart) has been the driving force behind getting the Logical Husband to FINALLY quit smoking (I quit 16 years ago FYI). However it is this comment that got my goat the most.
We are not going to go into the people's bedrooms...we regulate the roads.
Why should we believe you when you say you will not come into our bedrooms? Our automobiles, like our homes ARE PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY! By passing this bill you have already shown a propensity to only honor private property if it suits the politically correct agenda you are pushing. The only time that the government should be concerned about the activities that a citizen is engaged in (when he or she is driving on the roads) is if he/she is engaging in activities that put OTHER DRIVERS IN DANGER. If smoking while driving is so very dangerous then why not prohibit ALL drivers from smoking behind the wheel.
Better yet - I will repeat what I have said all along (during the debate over the MN smoking ban)...if smoking is such a hazard to human health then ban the sale of cigarettes ALTOGETHER! Make them as illegal to possess as marijuana or heroin is. However, we all know that will never happen in a million years because our government (state and federal) is too addicted to the tax dollars that tobacco sales brings in.
Labels: Smoking Nazis
posted by The Lady Logician at
6:46 PM
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