Smoke Free Nebraka

OK, it's not that I have anything against smokers, I don't. Many of my family members smoke, and I just lost my uncle to lung cancer which was undoubtedly caused by his addiction to cigarettes. He was a great man and the fact that he smoked was, I am sure, largely due to the fact that it is so hard to quit. However, I would rather not breathe the smoke when I go out. So, I have attached the text from an e-mail I received from GASP (Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution). For those residence of Nebraska who would like to support smoke free businesses, you can follow the instructions and send a letter to your senator, and ask him /her to support (LB395) to end smoking in businesses.

To make this very easy for you, a sample letter that you may cut-and-paste is below, how to learn the name of your Senator and your Senator's email address. To multiply our Grassroots Power, please forward this to your friends and family throughout Nebraska. To be effective, this message needs to reach many people in every city in Nebraska very soon! If you want smoke-free restaurants and bars, please take just five minutes right now to make it happen. It is up to YOU! This is it, now's the time, the political "window of opportunity" is wide open and we are closer than ever to having a smoke-free state! Seventeen other states have already done this! The bill (LB395) to end smoking in these businesses is about to be debated by Nebraska's Senators. All it will take to tip the scale in our favor, and pass this bill into law, is for each Senator to get many letters from people in their district urging them to support clean indoor air for all workers. Will your letter be one of those or will you kick yourself later for not sending your letter after you read that your Senator voted NO? Please help and cause letters and phone calls to pour into the state Senators until you have heard the Governor has signed the smoke-free bill into law. Please encourage your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to do so, as well. Cut, paste, modify and send by email the following letter to your senator with a copy to the governor and GASP. (Please add your own comments at the top of this letter, telling your Senator where and/or how smoke bothers you and your family, so they don't all look the same.)

Dear Senator,

I do not like breathing other people's tobacco smoke. I know doing so harms my health. Employees who work in smoky businesses should be guaranteed a smoke-free workplace at all times because working in a smoky environment could kill them. Too many nonsmokers in Nebraska get sick and some die every year because they breathe other people's tobacco smoke. Passing a simple, strong and fair smoke-free law could easily reduce these illnesses and death toll.

Would you please work to modify the smoke-free bill, Legislative Bill 395 (LB395) so it will not exclude any businesses such as tobacco stores, bars, keno locations or any other business? Smoking should not be allowed in any business, like a tobacco store, because:
1) all employees deserve smoke-free air at work, and
2) if it is allowed, many businesses will suddenly claim to be tobacco stores so they can allow smoking. This could lead to many needless court cases.

LB395 also needs to be modified so no city or county may have a weaker ordinance than the state law. However, the rights of the cities and people must be preserved if they want to be more protective of their citizens' health by passing a stronger ordinance.

Respectfully,
Your name
Your address
Your City/State/Zip Code
Your Phone number
Your Email address

Cc: Gov.Heineman@gov.ne.gov Info@SmokeFreeNebraska.org

WHAT IF I AM UNSURE OF WHO MY SENATOR IS?

If you don't know your senator's name, go to http://www.votesmart.org and enter your 9 digit zip code on the left side of the page, under "Find Your Representative:", hit Enter and scroll down until you see "State Legislative" - your senator's name will be right below it.

WHAT IF I WANT TO EMAIL MY STATE SENATOR AND GOVERNOR?

Here is a list of all Senators and the Governor, with their contact information.

Senator District Phone Email Fax Number
Heidemann, Lavon 01 402-471-2733 LHeidemann@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0901
Pankonin, Dave 02 402-471-2613 DPankonin@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0902
Kopplin, Gail 03 402-471-2627 GKopplin@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0903
Pirsch, Pete 04 402-471-2621 PPirsch@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0904
Preister, Don 05 402-471-2710 DPreister@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0905
Nelson, John 06 402-471-2714 JNelson@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0906
Synowiecki, John 07 402-471-2721 JSynowiecki@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0907
White, Tom 08 402-471-2722 TWhite@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0908
Howard, Gwen 09 402-471-2723 GHoward@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0909
Friend, Mike 10 402-471-2718 MFriend@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0910
Chambers, Ernie 11 402-471-2612 No E-mail 402-479-0911
Lathrop, Steve 12 402-471-2623 SLathrop@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0912
Kruse, Lowen 13 402-471-2727 LKruse@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0913
Gay, Tim 14 402-471-2730 TGay@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0914
Janssen, Ray 15 402-471-2625 RJanssen@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0915
Rogert, Kent 16 402-471-2728 KRogert@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0916
Engel, Pat 17 402-471-2716 LEngel@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0917
Scott Lautenbaugh 18 402-471-2618 SLautenbaugh@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0918
Flood, Mike 19 402-471-2929 MFlood@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0919
Ashford, Brad 20 402-471-2622 BAshford@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0920
Hudkins, Carol 21 402-471-2673 CHudkins@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0921
Stuthman, Arnie 22 402-471-2715 AStuthman@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0922
Langemeier, Chris 23 402-471-2719 CLangemeier@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0923
Adams, Greg 24 402-471-2756 GAdams@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0924
Raikes, Ron 25 402-471-2731 RRaikes@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0925
McGill, Amanda 26 402-471-2610 AMcGill@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0926
Schimek, DiAnna 27 402-471-2632 DSchimek@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0927
Avery, Bill 28 402-471-2633 BAvery@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0928
Fulton, Tony 29 402-471-2734 TFulton@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0929
Wallman, Norm 30 402-471-2620 NWallman@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0930
Pahls, Rich 31 402-471-2327 RPahls@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0931
Karpisek, Russ 32 402-471-2711 RKarpisek@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0932
Burling, Carroll 33 402-471-2712 CBurling@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0933
Dubas, Annette 34 402-471-2630 ADubas@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0934
Aguilar, Ray 35 402-471-2617 RAguilar@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0935
Wightman, John 36 402-471-2642 JWightman@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0936
Johnson, Joel 37 402-471-2726 JJohnson@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0937
Carlson, Tom 38 402-471-2732 TCarlson@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0938
Pedersen, Dwite 39 402-471-2885 DPedersen@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0939
Dierks, M.L. (Cap) 40 402-471-2801 MDierks@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0940
McDonald, Vickie 41 402-471-2631 VMcDonald@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0941
Hansen, Tom 42 402-471-2729 THansen@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0942
Fischer, Deb 43 402-471-2628 DFischer@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0943
Christensen, Mark 44 402-471-2805 MChristensen@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0944
Cornett, Abbie 45 402-471-2615 ACornett@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0945
Nantkes, Danielle 46 402-471-2720 DNantkes@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0946
Erdman, Philip 47 402-471-2616 PErdman@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0947
Harms, John 48 402-471-2802 JHarms@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0948
Louden, LeRoy 49 402-471-2725 LLouden@leg.ne.gov 402-479-0949

Governor Dave Heineman 402-471-2244 Gov.Heineman@gov.ne.gov

Senator Johnson's statement of intent for LB395 can be read at: http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/SI/LB395.pdf

The entire bill is at: http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Intro/LB395.pdf We will all breathe easier if you help!

Mark E. Welsch
President of GASP of NE, Inc.
Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution
5611 Howard Street, Omaha, NE 68106-1257 402-558-0463
Info@SmokeFreeNebraska.org http://www.smokefreenebraska.org/ ###