Smoking, driving and kids don’t mix. That's the message of a South Florida lawmaker who wants to ban smoking while driving when children are in the car.
Senator Jeff Clemens, a Democrat from Lake Worth, only wants to protect children from second-hand smoke.
But his bill is already drawing fire from personal liberty advocates. Florida Tea Party founder Everett Wilkinson warns good intentions don’t trump the dangers of a nanny state.
“I think people that are going to smoke are going to smoke, but what this will do is add another layer of government into people’s lives.’
The single-page legislation makes motorists guilty of a non-moving violation if they smoke when a child younger than 13 is in the car. The details haven’t been hashed out. For example, it’s not clear whether the driver can be ticketed if a passenger is smoking.
It’s not a novel idea. A previous attempt failed in 2013 even though it was backed by a Jacksonville Republican.
