David Williams Favors Statewide Smoking Ban; Phil Moffett And Gatewood Galbraith Do Not. That Speaks Volumes, Folks!

Sen. David Williams backs statewide smoking ban
By Joseph Gerth

Senate President David Williams strongly endorsed a statewide smoking ban Friday, saying it’s a workplace safety issue and not a matter of property rights as many conservatives contend.

Williams, speaking in Louisville at a Kentucky Press Association forum for gubernatorial candidates, said he would vote for such a ban if it comes to the Senate in this year’s General Assembly.

His opponent in the Republican primary, Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, said Williams’ position demonstrates that he isn’t a true conservative.

“The only thing my primary opponent does not like about big government is the fact that he’s not in charge of it,” Moffett said.

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, would ban smoking in all indoor workplaces with at least one employee, including restaurants, bars and private clubs.

Williams, R-Burkesville, had previously expressed support for a statewide smoking ban as an alternative to Gov. Steve Beshear’s plan to raise the tax on cigarettes several years ago.

But his comments Friday were stronger than his past statements.

“Secondhand smoke is full of carcinogens, it’s a health hazard to workers … and it ought to be stopped and now’s the time to stop it,” Williams said.

Moffett, who describes himself as a tea party candidate, argued that the scientific arguments in favor of a smoking ban — that secondhand smoke can cause a wide range of health problems — are overstated.

In addition, Moffett said, a smoking ban would be unconstitutional.

Independent candidate Gatewood Galbraith also said he opposes a statewide ban on grounds that people have the right to decide whether to allow smoking at their businesses.

Gov. Steve Beshear, who is seeking re-election and so far has no opposition in the Democratic primary, didn’t attend the forum, saying he had government business to deal with.

Campaigns for smoking bans have increased in Kentucky since the first one passed in Lexington in 2003. Now, 27 communities around the state — ranging in size from Beattyville to Louisville — have adopted them.

Williams said he would support a ban that would allow smoking in a limited number of businesses, such as cigar bars.

“I think it’s a workplace issue,” he said

When Galbraith suggested equipment that would remove smoke from the air, Williams said he opposed that.

“What about the person who can’t afford to do that. … I want to level the playing field,” Williams said.

Moffett said the proposal has nothing to do with workplace safety.

“If the government wants to ban smoking in government buildings, I have no problem with that. If government wants to tell me … that I can’t do something on my property like smoke, I have a problem with that,” he said. “It’s a property-rights issue, it’s a freedom issue, the government has no right telling me as a person that owns a piece of property … what I can do on that as long as it’s legal.”

He added: “I believe (the threat from) secondhand smoke has been overblown.”

Galbraith, a perennial candidate, took shots at both Republicans and Democrats throughout the forum, saying they were too interested in party politics to fix what is wrong with the state.

“If the people would have (elected) me the first time so solve the problems, I wouldn’t have had to run again,” said Galbraith, who has been a candidate for governor four previous times. “Neither party can produce a candidate who can disengage from the partisanship enough to actually cooperate enough with the other side to actually get the job done.”

Moffett went hard after Williams, criticizing him for voting for a bill that allowed part-time legislators who get full-time state jobs to enhance their retirement benefits, for voting for bond projects and for supporting the smoking ban.

“These are not the actions of a conservative,” Moffett said. “These are the actions of a ruling-class person, the nanny state, a liberal.”

For his part, Williams saved his harshest attacks for Beshear.

“Presently, I believe we have a governor who actually does not have an agenda,” he said in his opening statement. “He’s presented no proposal, no suggestions for change, no suggestions for improvement.”

Later he said that Beshear has “wasted” the last three years.

But in his closing statement, Williams also defended himself against Moffett’s charges, saying the claim that he is not a conservative is preposterous.

“For any primary opponent to try to paint me as a … liberal is almost laughable,” Williams said. “The bottom line of it is, I am a solid conservative, pro-growth Republican.”