County commissioners protect public health
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Editor,
Apparently, Representative Linda Reksten doesn’t think much of our Lake County Commissioners.
In March of 2018, our commissioners decided to protect public health by including e-cigarettes in their Clean Indoor Air Act protections. As a result, people in our community are protected from aerosol vapor from e-cigarettes, as well as from tobacco smoke, when they are in spaces open to the public. But HB137, which Representative Linda Reksten supported, will take these protections away.
These protections were adopted by the commissioners with the support of parents, teachers, health professionals, faith leaders and youth advocates. They exist because citizens of our community wanted them and fought for them. It’s wrong for Helena politicians to take these protections away. Some of these protections have been in place more than 10 years and others for more than five.
We need the freedom to make local decisions to protect public health, children and seniors, especially amidst the pandemic. Common sense tells us to protect our community from a growing epidemic of youth vaping.
This bill has moved to the Senate now (HB137). Please, contact our Senators Greg Hertz, Dan Salomon, Mark Blasdel and Bob Keenan to urge them to vote no, and the number to call is 406-444-4800.
Carolyn Beecher
Ronan
