Tobacco Documents Online

~~yf~II'~IIN8. PII~PHss~~R Anro 7~&DornAs ATTORN[YS AND COUNStLORS AT LAW •OET OrInCK OX 7ilf N.SC CKNTER. •UIT[ 300 IltE LAOY /TR[tT Coa.UraniA. $cDtrrgs CnsioaarrA 2gsZ®2 JOHN OR[00 MCMAIT[R RO9[RT JYLIAl/ THOMAS M[NRY DAROAN MCMASTKR O[OROE NUNT[R MCMAfTtR ROB[RT rRtSTON WOOD JOHN TIMOTHY STACK A. L KLACKlTONK. III December 31,, 1986 Mr. Ronald C. Morris Regional Vice President The Tobacco Institute Dartmouth Building, Suite 304 3395 Northeast Expressway Atlanta, Georgia 30341 Re: Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Richland County Council Dear Mr. Morris: IRANK O. TOMPKIN• 1 f7+1 0" I/IANK 4L TOMPKINS. JR. 1000.1073 KUtASITM /. KLDRIDOK 111K1A7K Tttt10MONKI 1060 700.44" Pursuant to notice, the Richland County Council at its meeting held here in Columbia on Tuesday, December 30, 1986, with an agenda that included several items including the so-called Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, and after extensive debate, adopted the ordinance by a vote of 6 to 5. It was amended to become effective January 31, 1987. All members of Council were present and voting. They were: For 1. Raymond E. McKay, Jr. (author) 2. John D. Monroe (author) 3. James R. Barber 4. Mrs. Lillie Herndon 5. James C. Farley 6. Mrs. Candy Waites Against 1. Robert Coble 2. W.R. Roa_ers 3. Thomas E. Boney 4. Billy E: Taylor 5. Mrs. Leone Castles The terms of Messrs. Barber, Boney, Taylor and Rogers expire on•December 31, 1986. ' Mr. Monroe, one of the proponents, has been ill and got up from his sick bed to attend the meeting. He did not utter a word during the course of the hearing or the entire meeting, and his presence gave the proponents the predicted 6 to 5 vote. Each speaker was allowed only three minutes to present his views and this included the Commissioner of Agriculture D. Leslie Tindal.

Mr. Ronald C. Morris December 31, 1986 Page 2 The order and positions of the speakers were as follows: 1. Bob Wells - For 2. W.H. Kirkland - Against (Mr. Kirkland is a "sober alcoholic"; he said that cigarettes never put him in jail or in the hospital). 3. Sen. Warren Giese - For 4. Sen. Tom Smith - Against 5. Ken Allen, Attorney - For • 6.• D. Lesley Tindal, Commissioner of Agriculture - Against 7. Harold Gable, President of S.C. Division of Cancer Society - For 8. Rep. Woody McKay, Florence County - Against 9. John Heavener, Lung Association - For 10. David Weeks, M.D. - Against 11. Mr. David Johnson - For - 12. Henry Dargan McMaster - Against (As to ordinance being unconstitutional) 13. Mrs. Wheeler - For 14. John Gregg McMaster - Against 15. Mrs. Shelby Wheeler - For (She nurses mental patients at State Hospital; "All they do is eat, smoke and watch television.") 16. Mr.,Bob Battle, Tobacco farmer - Against 17. Mrs. Gladys Pugh - For (Retired government worker) 18. Mr. Jerry Webber, Tobacconist - Against 19. Miss Janet McMahan, S.C. Association of Health Educators - For 20. Rep. David M. Beasley, Darlington County - Against 21. (I've lost one) - For 22. Mr. Joe'Stancil, S.C. Farm Bureau - Against As lengthy Council you can see, these participants contributed to a very debate. But that was not all. The following members of explained their positions: Mrs. Candy Waites - For - Mrs. Leone Castles - Against Mr. Raymond E. McKay - For Mr. Robert Coble - Against Mr. Billy Taylor - Against Mr. James C. Farley - For Mr. Jim Barber - For Mr. Thomas E. Boney - Against Mrs. Lillie Herndon, Chairman - For Mrs. Waites proposed an amendment-to delete the county iail exemption from the terms of the ordinance. This was adopted. (Originally, the inmates of the jail could smoke in their cells.) Mrs. Leone Castles, in a challenging sort of maneuver, moved that the ordinance be amended to apply county-wide to any and all persons and public places. This amendment was defeated.

Mr. Ronald C. Morris December 31, 1986 Page 3. The background work in connection with our efforts was extensive. For instance, we contacted Governor Riley (through an intermediary) and asked him to intervene with Council, but he declined to do so. We had the newly-elected Speaker Pro-Tem of the House to contact Councilman Jim Barber in an effort to have him swing to our side. At our request, contacts were made by letter or in person to various members of Council by many people including: Mr. John Monroe Holliday Mr. Joe King Rep. David M. Beasley Rep. Robert B. Brown Mr. Pete Gustafson, Rep. John William McLeod South Carolina Farm Bureau Rep. John I. Rogers, III, Rep. Woodrow M. McKay Speaker Pro-Tem Mr. Isaac Savitz, Sen. Thomas.E. Smith, Jr. Columbia Cigar and Candy Company Commissioner David Leslie Tindal Rep. John J. Snow, Jr: Mr. John M. Truluck Mr. Bob Battle Rep. Pete Pearce Mr. Laurie Lawson, Chairman Sheriff Frank Powell of the Agriculture Commission Here are some of the factors that contributed to the passage of the ordinance: 1. Our local newspapers supported the passage of- the ordinance. - 2. The newspapers generally played up the story from time to time during the past 18 or more months. 3. The Surgeon General's report hurt us very badly. 4. The general -idea created by the press, et al. that smoking causes cancer and passive smoking is just as bad - all of this turned Council members against us. -5. Some members of our General Assembly, to wit, Senator -. Giese, is professionally and politically opposed to smoking. He ran a health study for the federal govern- ment looking into heart stress, etc. He is a tenured professor of physical education at USC and while generally conservative in his views he is bold in his opposition to smoking by anyone. Also, Sen. Joe Wilson, also generally conservative, has exercised himself in this anti-smoking field and is vocal in his opposition to smoking. 6: Smoking or not smoking is an emotional issue here just as it is in other states.

Mr. Ronald C. Morris December 31, 1986 Page 4 7. The real and correct message about passive or environ- mental tobacco smoke has not permeated the minds of our people. 8. Many people in this area have quit smoking and they are the most vocal in opposition to smoking in any form. Enclosed is a copy of the front page of our local paper, The State, reporting the event of Council's meeting of December 31, 1986, at which the anti-smoking ordinance was approved. This gives you an idea of the importance and prominence that our local press gives to the measure. We will have our work cut out for us in the upcoming General Assembly which convenes the-second Tuesday in January, 1987, January 13th. _ Dr. David Weeks, Boise, Idaho, made an excellent witness for us. Mr. Sterling Smith handled the press before and after the hearing and presented our view with force and conviction. The result obtained here was certainly not to our liking, but it was not because of a lack of effort in presenting our view. Yours very truly, .w ~ "-•F </~hn Gregg~McMaster JGM:mc Enclosure P.S. Also enclosed is a copy of the news story in our afternoon newspaper The Columbia Record of December 31, 1986. JGM