Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 18, 1991                   TAG: 9102180251
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

TOBACCO LIMITS URGED/ BILL PROHIBITS SALES TO MINORS

The Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 9-6 to send Del. Jack Kennedy's bill to the Senate floor.

A proposal to gut the bill by keeping the age at 16 passed 7-6, but after Kennedy, D-Wise, said the change made his bill meaningless, the committee voted again and killed the amendment 9-6.

The committee agreed to an amendment by Sen. Virgil H. Goode Jr., D-Franklin County, to ban private citizens from enforcing the law. The Tobacco Institute had sought that change to keep anti-smoking groups from taking merchants to court for not posting signs stating minors cannot buy tobacco products.

Anthony Troy, the institute's lobbyist, said it favors raising the age to 18 but the state, not private citizens, should prosecute merchants who refuse to put up signs.

"It's time the state started taking some responsibility," said Anne M. Donley, director of Virginia Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public. She said the state has refused to enforce a public smoking law that took effect in July.

Kennedy's bill would make selling tobacco to a minor a civil offense punishable by a maximum $50 fine. Minors would be allowed to buy tobacco for their parents and Donley said that provision would make the law difficult to enforce.

In other action, the committee voted 10-5 to kill a bill that would have required minors to lose their driver's license for six months if they are convicted of being drunk in public and approved 10-5 a $100 court fee to anyone convicted of a drug felony and $50 to anyone convicted of a drug misdemeanor.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY