Pro-active proposal Mississippi Smoking Restriction Local Preemption Objective

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

The tobacco industry uses its vast resources to create and shape public policy that benefits itself. It drafts its own preferred legislation, manipulates the legislative leadership into introducing and advancing their bill, and then they control the public hearings about it, create "grass roots support" for it, compose and publish articles ('op-eds') expressing support for it, etc. until its finally passed. This Tobacco Institute document that describes the process, in brief.

Sample quotes:

Pro-Active Proposal
OBJECTIVE: Protect smokers' rights and preempt local governments' ability to impose restrictive smoking ordinances. GENERAL STRATEGY * Under The Institute's guidance, the following strategy is being implemented. * There is no statewide clean indoor air act. Therefore, it will be necessary to select key sponsors for introduction and control of proposed legislation which will create same with the inclusion of smokers rights ... * Establish a...timeline for movement of the bill prior to introduction and develop a controlled hearing scenario. RESOURCE NEEDS ... Use expert ETS and IAQ witnesses to brief lawmakers, allies and the media. Develop favorable op-ed pieces from these experts and from local experts where possible ... Develop grassroots mail program to focus on specific legislators' home districts. Schedule these grassroots efforts and seminars to coincide with the movement of the legislation.

Title: Pro-active Proposal MS Smoking Restriction Local Preemption
Date: 00000000 (undated)
Type: Report
Bates No. TIMS0025665
Collection: Tobacco Institute
Pages: 1
URL: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vhb32f00

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