After sailing through the California Senate, a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products stalled in the legislature’s other chamber. Yesterday, the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee was expected to vote on S.B. 151, a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in California from 18 to 21. However, after realizing that there was not enough votes in the committee, the bill’s sponsor—Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina—pulled it from the committee’s agenda. While Hernandez said he would continue to push for the bill’s passage this year, The Los Angeles Times indicated “significant opposition” would make its passage unlikely. The State Senate has already approved the bill, however it would need to not only pass a committee vote, but also a full Assembly vote. If passed, California would become the second state—after Hawaii—to have a minimum tobacco purchasing age of 21.
↧