Fantastic initial success in illinois - more action needed next week.....

[wader2k]

We have received written confirmation from the office of the sponsor (Rep. Marlow Colvin) of the Illinois bill to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes that the bill will NOT be called at the Human Services Committee hearing on 4/21/10.

That means it will not be discussed or voted on, so we do NOT need to be there.

The deadline for the House to hear Senate bills is 4/23/10.

That means that, unless Rep. Colvin calls this as an emergency hearing (not at all likely), the bill is dead!

We won't know for absolutely 100% sure that he won't call an "emergency hearing" until Thursday afternoon ... but again, there's almost no chance of this happening. Remember--the head of the Committee, Naomi Jakobsson, removed her name as a co-sponsor.

We'll wait until Friday to break out the champagne, but a few beers now would be appropriate.

Way to go, Illinois!

I'll post more later, but wanted to get this out there so that people could adjust their plans since they will NOT need to be in Springfield Wednesday.

Great news Julie! Sounds like the votes just weren't there after last week and Colvin knows it. Hopefully they won't try and pull a fast one.

 

[margikins]

Great news Julie! Sounds like the votes just weren't there after last week and Colvin knows it. Hopefully they won't try and pull a fast one.

No doubt, pack your toothbrush anyhow!

 

[Treadmaker]

If Colvin is from Chicago, I'd be mildy concerned that he wants to empty the room of opposition then slither the vote through.

Alas i wouldn't lose any sleep over the bill, the only victims are China and they own Illinois; or a good portion of its municipal bonds.
I am amazed though that of all the bills they could have pushed through, like sin-tax on pv's and e-juice they went with an outright ban.
Nevertheless, thats probably what these minions of despotism will push for next; some coins with every transaction. Hell, even if you drop just a pack of analogs per week from your diet because of ecigs; thats about 4 bucks that illinois doesnt get for thier gracious privelage they have offered you.

Oh well, I digress. Thanks again all you Illini whom held the line inspite of me and my absence. Sounds like a glorious battle was waged down there in Springfield for Liberty among other Just Causes. History books may very well label your action the Illini-juice wars of 2010!

 

[kristin]

Alas i wouldn't lose any sleep over the bill, the only victims are China and they own Illinois; or a good portion of its municipal bonds.

That isn't true at all.

Two very popular ecig companies are Illinois-based: Cignot and Vape4Life and I'm sure there are quite a few others. They and all of their customers would have been the victims of this bill.

And if just ONE state goes down this path successfully, the rest will follow shortly.

There is no "it's not my problem" when it comes to proposed ecig bans.

 

[kristin]

On that note - keep an eye out for my post about New York folks!! On April 27th, the New York Senate Health Committee will be considering the bill to ban ecigs. We'll have a thread started shortly in the CASAA subforum and on casaaforum.org.

It's time to do in New York what we did in Illinois!!

 

[Nightowl4272]

ModernVapor is also in Chicago, IL.

And similarly to what Kristin said, if one state follows a certain path it makes it that much more likely that the other states will follow suit whichever way it goes good or bad.

But I do agree with Treadmaker, this does feel a little too good to be true. I'm a little nervous. I wish there was some way to confirm that the bill is indeed dead and not still vulnerable to someone "changing their mind.".

Does anyone know if the 7 person committee has to be unanimous in their decision to call the bill to a vote in the House?

 

[lonercom]

My concern is that it is still on the agenda as of 1245am 04/20

Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB3174

 

[kristin]

My concern is that it is still on the agenda as of 1245am 04/20

Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB3174

Yes, Julie addressed this:

Ahh, Jan, you are as paranoid as I am.

We have an email in writing from his secretary stating that Rep. Colvin stated that he did not intend to call it for a hearing on Wednesday.

And, of course, being the paranoid gal that I am, we called around. The Clerk of the House Committees informed us that it would still stay on the calendar on the website regardless. He also indicated that if Rep. Colvin were to request an emergency hearing of Rep. Jakobsson (Chair of the Human Services Committee), as soon as it was scheduled, the Clerk would know and he'd post it on the website.

But to answer your question, yes, it would be possible for him to change his mind, and we do intend to call his office tomorrow morning to confirm . . . and then again and again until Friday morning.

But we're mindful that people have really gone to extraordinary lengths to make plans to be there--babysitters, time off work, carpooling, etc--and we want people to know what we have been told.

Honestly, I think Colvin knows he doesn't have the votes for anything other than an amendment to ban sales to minors, and unless that kind of amendment is offered, it would be a waste of his time and the time of the Committee to pursue a full out ban.

But it's not over until it's over . . . hence the recommendation to enjoy a beer, but save the champagne for Friday.

 

[New_World]

this making me tense!

 

[Vicks Vap-oh-Yeah]

Don't be tense. Even if someone slithers the bill through committee - it still has to go (ie, be voted on) through the house BEFORE being signed into law.

IF they pull an underhanded stunt to push it thorugh the committee, we'll be there in full force when that bill hits the House floor - and prepared to discuss WHY it was slipped in 'under the table' so to speak.

Yes, I will breathe a huge sigh of relief when Friday closes, and this bill is officially declared dead - but I'm not going to work myself into a lather in the meantime.

 

[Vocalek]

Vicks: I followed the link to VapeFest.com but I must be going blind. I don't see the date(s) on there for the Midwest Vapefest in St. Louis.

 

[JustJulie]

Update: I spoke with Rep. Colvin's office this afternoon, and it's still slated as a no-go . . . not being called for hearing tomorrow, no amendment being offered, nada. Like Vicks said, the chances of anything happening are slim to none, but some healthy paranoia is never a bad thing.

At this point, perhaps we ought to be putting our champagne in the refrigerator in preparation of Friday's celebration.

 

[JustJulie]

Vicks: I followed the link to VapeFest.com but I must be going blind. I don't see the date(s) on there for the Midwest Vapefest in St. Louis.

You're not going blind . . . it seems to be left off. But for inquiring minds, it's scheduled for August 20-22. Woo-Hoo! I'm hoping all the Illinois folks will make it . . . what an utterly cool group of people.

 

[Vocalek]

You're not going blind . . . it seems to be left off. But for inquiring minds, it's scheduled for August 20-22. Woo-Hoo! I'm hoping all the Illinois folks will make it . . . what an utterly cool group of people.

*Whew* That's a relief. It's bad enough that I'm going gray (but thanks to a great hairdresser, it's converted to "frosted.")

 

[jj2]

*Whew* That's a relief. It's bad enough that I'm going gray (but thanks to a great hairdresser, it's converted to "frosted.")

Mines naturally frosted.

Well be glad when the sun sets Friday.
Kinda pitzy though, I was looking forward to meeting some of my fellow vaporers.
Hopefully when I do, it's under happier circumstances.

 

[Hudsonkm]

Mines naturally frosted.

Well be glad when the sun sets Friday.
Kinda pitzy though, I was looking forward to meeting some of my fellow vaporers.
Hopefully when I do, it's under happier circumstances.

I just like to say I'm going silver...

Sounds cooler.

 

[wader2k]

So I take it it wasn't called today?!

 

[Khadijah]

Any update on this yet? Today is the 21st.

 

[bobbysox10]

Is the bill killed? Last update on the website is co-sponsor removed naomi jacobson or something to that nature.

 

[JustJulie]

Is the bill killed? Last update on the website is co-sponsor removed naomi jacobson or something to that nature.

We've been told by Rep. Colvin's office that he has no plans to call it for a hearing. Our understanding is that Friday is the last date he can ask to place the bill on the agenda for hearing at the 4/28/10 House Human Services Committee meeting.

Thus, we should know for sure by the end of the day Friday whether the bill is indeed going to die in Committee.

I hope you have champagne chilling.