Albo: Just Don't Light Up In Your Fireplace

Delegate Dave Albo has a long history of helping out the smoking industry that we've covered here before.

AMG, Albo & Big Tobacco Run With Jim Crow & Joe McCarthy (Jan. 2, 2008)
AMG, Albo - Nobody Expects Anything in Return (Apr. 23, 2007)
AMG, Doin' the People's Bidness Albo-Style (Jan. 30, 2007)
AMG, Delegate for Sale? (Apr. 1, 2006)

He also has a long history of shilling for the alcohol industry which we've covered here:

So what does that buy you if you're a tobacco-alcohol donor-lobbyist?

12 Dead Smoking Bills

From today's Washington Post:

A House general-laws subcommittee considered four bills that the Senate had passed, including one favored by Kaine that would have prohibited smoking in restaurants and bars. The six-member subcommittee, controlled by Republicans, did not debate the bills before Delegate Dave Albo (R-Fairfax) suggested that they be set aside. Committee members agreed after chairman Thomas D. Gear (R-Hampton) had repeatedly asked why restaurants do not ban smoking. "I'm sympathetic, but I don't see something I can live with," Albo said. Last week, the same subcommittee killed eight similar proposals from House members. Thursday's action means all the anti-smoking bills introduced in the 60-day legislative session are dead. Hopes for Public Smoking Ban Are Snuffed Out, Washington Post, B05 (Feb. 15, 2008).

Who was the #2 biggest tobacco money recipient on that committee back in 2006 according to the Virginian-Pilot? See AMG, Delegate for Sale (Apr. 1, 2006). His last name starts with an "A" and ends with an "O." See Panel That Snuffed Ban Had Strong Tobacco Ties, The Virginian Pilot (Feb. 25, 2006).

So what kind of smoking legislation does Delegate Dave Albo have in mind? Well, this year he introduced this nifty bill to give local governments the authority to regulate fireplace smoke, yes, fireplace smoke.

HOUSE BILL NO. 265 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled January 2, 2008 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 15.2-922.2, relating to regulation of wood burning fireplaces. ---------- Patron-- Albo ---------- Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 15.2-922.2 as follows:

§ 15.2-922.2. Regulating wood burning fireplaces in certain localities.

In any locality with a population density of greater than 1,000 persons per square mile, the locality may by ordinance regulate the use of wood burning fireplaces in any portion of the locality where such use may constitute a nuisance to adjacent residences. Such ordinance shall not apply to any dwelling that does not have an adequate source of heat without burning wood.

See smoke from chimneys is a huge problem in Lorton, Virginia. Everyone's smoking up each other's yards with their out of control fireplaces.

So see, the bottom line is that Delegate Dave Albo's position is that the Government really needs to be regulate it's good citizens smoking cigarettes in their fireplaces or in their woodstoves, just not in restaurants.

Because remember what our hero says: