“In a move that’ll greatly benefit small businesses and their workers, Montana’s House of Representatives recently passed a bill to prevent local governments in the Treasure State from passing anti-vaping regulations. House Bill 137 pre-empts moves to ban the sale of flavored vaping products that have gained traction in various localities nationwide in the name of protecting public health. However, evidence from cities like San Francisco already shows what health experts have long predicted: Such bans are more likely to push smokers and vapers onto significantly more harmful and carcinogenic products, namely cigarettes. Flavors are crucial for making vaping a more appealing option for satiating nicotine cravings and hence an effective smoking cessation aid. Not only do these bans risk public health, they also threaten vape retailers, manufacturers, and other American businesses already struggling through the Covid-19 pandemic. HB 137, then, is the latest of many U.S. state laws promoting liberty and economic opportunity by preventing local politicians and bureaucrats from restricting businesses through occupational licensing, tax hikes, red tape, and other costly and burdensome local ordinances for entrepreneurs and workers. Such “preemption laws” should be welcomed by lovers of liberty“
ARTICLE LINK: States Step In When ‘Local Control’ Threatens Liberty
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