>>> RECENTLY THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE CONSIDERED A BILL TO
RAISE THE AGE FOR PURCHASE OF CIGARETTES AND ALL TOBACCO
PRODUCTS FROM 18 TO 21 IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
MEASURE PASSED THE STATE SENATE WITH JUST TWO NO VOTES.
ONE DISSENTER WAS SENATOR DON HUM I SON.
HE SAT DOWN WESTBOUND CORRESPOND CAROLEE McGRATH TO EXPLAIN WHY
HE THINKS THIS SHOULD BE LEFT TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND TO THOSE
LEGALLY CONSIDERED TO BE ADULTS.
>> I THINK THEY MADE THE CASE FOR ME ON THE FLOOR THAT
MORNINGS WHEN THEY SAID 100 CITIES AND TOWNS IN
MASSACHUSETTS HAVE ALREADY VOTED TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN BUT TO
RAISE THE AGE FOR SMOKING TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO 21, AND I
SAID WHY ARE WE DOING IT AT THE STATE SENATE LEVEL?
IF CONSTITUENTS AND TOWNS HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT WHY DO WE
NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN LET LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DECIDE.
THAT WAS SIMPLE FOR ME.
THE OTHER ARGUMENT WAS 18 YEARS OLD HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND
AMERICA IS THE AGE OF CONSENT, AGE OF MAJORITY.
YOU'RE AN ADULT.
YOU CAN VOTE.
YOU CAN SERVE IN THE MILITARY.
YOU CAN DO ALL THOSE THINGS F. YOU CAN DO THAT YOU CAN
CERTAINLY MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND EVEN TO DO SOMETHING HARMFUL
LIKE SMOKING.
I HATE SMOKE.
NEVER TRIED IT.
NEVER SMOKED TOBACCO, NEVER SPOAT POT.
NEVER SMOKED ANYTHING OTHER THAN MAYBE A CIGAR OR TWO IN COLLEGE.
BUT IT'S NOT MY DECISION AS A SENATOR OR OUR DECISION AS A
GOVERNMENT TO TELL AN ADULT WHAT DO OR NOT TO DO.
GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION AND LEAVE IT UP TO THEM TO MAKE THE
RIGHTDECISION.
>> DO YOU ALSO FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT ALCOHOL?
>> THAT WAS HUGE DEBATE BACK IN THE DAY, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT
WE'RE ARGUING ON THURSDAY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
THAT ISSUE WASN'T BEFORE ME.
I WASN'T IN THE LEGISLATURE AT THE TIME THAT HAPPENED.
SO I VIEWED MY DECISION SOLELY ON SMOKING.
I SUPPOSE IF ALCOHOL WERE BEFORE ME I MAY HAVE TO APPLY THAT SAME
LOGIC.
IF YOU'RE 18 YOU'RE AN ADULT.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT RAISE THE AGE OF BEING AN ADULT.
WHATEVER.
I STILL THINK IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE AND WE IN STATE
GOVERNMENT, STATE SENATE, STATE HOUSE BEGIN TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU
CAN AND CANNOT DO AFTER YOU'RE 18.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA.
I CAN'T THINK OF A MORE ADULT POWER THAN THE POWER TO VOTE.
AS I SAID ON THE FLOOR WHEN I SPOKE AGAINST THIS, I SAID THESE
PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TELLING WHAT TO DO VOTE FOR US.
EVERY TWO YEARS.
SO IF THEY ARE SMART ENOUGH TO ELECT YOU AS A SENATOR, YOU AS A
SENATOR, DON'T YOU THINK THEY ARE SMART ENOUGH TO MAKE THE
DECISION FOR THEMSELVES?
WE CAN HELP CERTAINLY, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH,
STATE GOVERNMENT, WE CAN PUT INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT'S
FINE.
BUT WE'RE NOT BANNING THE PRODUCT.
LET'S FACE IT.
THE LEGISLATURE KEEP DARK LITTLE SECRET WE LOVE THE TAXES FROM
THAT SMOKING PRODUCT.
WE COULDN'T DO WITHOUT IT.
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO BAN IT BECAUSE WE NEED THE MONEY.
>> PEOPLE ARGUE, THOUGH, SOME OF THESE COMMENTS WERE MADE THAT
THIS BILL SAVED LIVES.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?
>> SO WILL DRIVING 30 MILES AN HOUR SOME OF THE WILL WEARING A
HELMET WHEN YOU'RE WALKING DOWN THE STREET SO NOTHING FALLS ON
YOUR HEAD.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BEGIN AND END THAT ARGUMENT?
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT SAVE LIVES.
ARE WE GOING TO TELL ADULTS WHAT TO DO AND NOT DO?
SADLY, I LOST A COUPLE FRIENDS WHO WERE KILLED WHILE RIDING
THEIR BICYCLES.
I'M NOT GOING TO BAN BICYCLES FOR A ADULTS OR KIDS.
LIFE IS DANGEROUS.
AT SOME POINT YOU'VE GOT TO ACCEPT THAT THERE'S DANGEROUS
ACTIVITIES OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD.
DO YOU REALLY WANT GOVERNMENT TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT
DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SAY YOU'RE 18, YOU'RE AN ADULT.
MAKE THE DECISION FOR YOURSELF.
THE INTERESTING THING IS ALTHOUGH IT WAS BILLED AS AN
ANTI-TOBACCO BILL IT ALSO ROLLED IN ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES.
IT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF AN ANTI-SMOKING BILL.
SO IT MEANS THAT VAPOR PRODUCTS, E-CIGARETTES AND -- I DON'T KNOW
ENOUGH ABOUT IT.
WHATEVER THE LIQUIDS THAT GO INTO THE VAPE, THOSE ARE NOT
AVAILABLE UNTIL YOU'RE 21.
THOSE ARE NOT FOR SALE I GUESS THEY CAN'T EVEN BE KEPT WHERE
PEOPLE UNDER AGE 21 CAN GET TO THEM WHICH SORT OF OUTRAGED SO
THE OF THE VARKS APING CROWD.
THEY SEE IT AS A WAY OF CUTTING DOWN ON SMOKING TOBACCO
PRODUCTS, SO THAT WAS A LITTLE CONTROVERSIAL TOO BUT AGAIN,
VOTE WAS PRETTY OVERWHELMING.
>> YOU AND SENATOR RYAN BATMAN --
>> ANOTHER REPUBLICAN -- >> IS IT LONELY STANDING UP LIKE
THAT?
AGAINST THE CROWD?
>> I THINK IT IS, BUT I RAN TO BE THE STATE SENATOR FROM MY
DISTRICT WHO WOULD AT LEAST LOOK AT THE BILLS, READ THE
LEGISLATION THEN DECIDE BASED ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RIGHT FOR MY
DISTRICT.
SO SOMETIMES I'M PROBABLY GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THE MAJORITY
BECAUSE I DISAGREE WITH THEM.
THAT'S UP TO MY CONSTITUENTS TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY LIKE THAT OR
NOT.
SO FAR THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN PRETTY OVERWHELMING SAYING WE
UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DID WHAT YOU DID AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THE RETAILERS AND SMALLER BUSINESSES.
I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR CONCERNS.
>> AGAIN, WE HAD A MEMBER OF OUR CAUCUS WHO IS A GAS STATION
OWNER.
HIS GAS STATION SELLS CIGARETTE PRODUCTS, TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
HE HAD TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THE VOTE.
HE COULDN'T VOTE AT ALL, BUT IT DOES HAVE A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL
IMPACT.
NOW, I LIKE THE ARGUMENT THAT SAYS THE LONGER YOU DELAY
SOMEONE FROM SMOKING TOBACCO ESPECIALLY THROUGHOUT THEIR
YOUTH, THE LESS LIKELY IT IS THEY WILL GET HOOKED ON IT.
THAT'S THE SAME FOR ALCOHOL, SAME FOR OPIATES, ANY DRUG.
THE LONGER YOU CAN WAIT THE BETTER.
BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN THIS LEGAL PRODUCT, TOBACCO IS STILL LEGAL
IN MASSACHUSETTS, IS BEING SOLD BY OUR VENDORS AND OUR SMALL
BUSINESS PEOPLE AND THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE A HUGE HIT TOO.
WE EVEN TRIED TO MODIFY THE BILL TO ALLOW THE STORE OWNERS THAT
HAD PRODUCT ALREADY IN STOCK TO SELL THAT PRODUCT OFF BEFORE THE
LAW WENT INTO PLACE.
JUST SOMETHING TO TRY TO HELP THE SMALL BUSINESS GUY.
THAT GOT SHOT DOWN TOO.
IT WAS KIND OF A MESS.
AGAIN, I GO BACK TO WHY IS THE STATE GOVERNMENT DOING IT WHEN
CITIES AND TOWNS WHO ARE ALREADY CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE, SELECT MEN
ON THE BOARDS OF HEALTH AND OF COURSE THE MAYORS, THEY ARE
CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE THAN WE ARE IN BOSTON AND THEY ARE MAKING
THOSE DECISIONS, SO WHY WAS IT NECESSARY TO COME IN AT THE
STATE LEVEL AND DO YOU REALLY WANT THE STATE TO START
REGULATING THOSE?
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS PLASTIC BAGS.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE DID JUST LAST WEEK.
AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY CLOSELY REGULATED LOCALLY BUT
THE STATE DECIDED WE WANTED TO PASS AN AMENDMENT SAD TO SAY
THAT FARMERS COULDN'T USE PLASTIC BAGS AT FARMERS MARKETS.
THEY HAVE TO USE PAPER OR SOME OTHER BAG.
I SAID THAT'S GREAT.
THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BUT WHY ARE WE DOING SOMETHING
THAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE AT A LOCAL LEVEL?
CLOSEST TO THE VOTER.
CLOSE EST TO THE PEOPLE.
>> NEXT IT GOES TO THE HOUSE.
>> IT DOES.
HOPEFULLY.
WE TALKED OFF CAMERA, THE HOUSE AND SENATE SOMETIMES DO THERE'S
NO GUARANTEE THAT SOMETHING PASSED ONE BRANCH GOES TO THE
NEXT.
I HOPE IT GETS TAKEN UP BECAUSE I WANT THE HOUSE MEMBERS TO HAVE
A CHANCE TO VOTE AS WELL.
>> SENATOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
INTERESTING TOPIC.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.