Washington Courthouse Council Backs Down On Plans To Outlaw Smoking In Cars With Children

The last time Washington C.H. City Council met on July 14, the anti-smoking law rumbling on the streets was deafening, while the actual voice of the people proved to be a little more than a whisper.

Last night the measure was put aside as the bill was defeated..

Through letters to the editor, comments on Facebook and voicemails left at the Record-Herald, it seemed that an angry mob would show up at the last council meeting to oppose Ordinance No. 9-2010, which, if passed, would prohibit smoking in a motor vehicle with child passengers. On the day of the meeting, though, just four people showed up to speak against the law, and it passed its first reading 4-2.

Tonight the ordinance goes up for its second reading. Should it pass, it would only need to be read once more before becoming law.

Connie Ingram was not at the July 14 meeting, but she will certainly be in attendance tonight for the 7:30 p.m. meeting as part of that group that “might” be bigger.

“We’ve been passing out flyers encouraging everyone to show up in front of the council meeting at 501 N. Main St. to do a sign wave prior to the meeting,” Ingram said Tuesday night. “Everyone who wants to go to council and voice their opinion should do it.”

Ingram believes that city council is acting in their own personal interests by supporting the ordinance and says they are doing so by using the guise of saying they, “do it for the good of the children.”

“Every time there’s a tax increase, they say they do it for the good of the children,” Ingram said. “It’s a scare tactic.” Read More