MARK KIESLING: Brown wisely enlists top GOP support in anti-smoking drive

I'll say this for state Rep. Charlie Brown, he does not give up easily.

So this session of the Indiana General Assembly, while everyone else seems to be focused on right-to-work issues, Brown will step once more unto the breach on his anti-smoking bill.

"We hope the sixth time will be the charm and we will get smoke-free air passed in Indiana," the Gary Democrat said.

For some reason, it's been the Republicans who have stonewalled the attempts by Brown, and to a lesser extent others, to get an indoor smoking ban passed.

I understand the right-to-decide argument, which is why I am opposed to the new seat belt law that took effect in Illinois on Jan. 1.

It now requires back seat passengers to buckle up. Ominous radio ads warn that police are going to be out in force to make sure rear seat passengers are now complying with the law.

Silly. Of course adults should make sure kids are strapped into safety seats, as there is no 5-year-old capable of making a rational decision as to whether to be buckled in or not.

Yet the Illinois Legislature assumes adults are incapable of weighing the risks and deciding for themselves whether to use seat belts, which, by the way, is a good idea as I see it.

But tobacco smoking in inside public places where all the public is invited does not look beyond the desire of about 22 percent of Indiana's population to puff away to the irritation of the remaining 78 percent.

So much for majority rule.

But Republicans tend to be more libertarian leaning in some areas, and also listen to the plaintive whines of business owners who say not allowing smoking in bars and restaurants is going to destroy their trade.

So Brown has gone right to the heart of enemy territory, and lo and behold! He has enlisted the support of two influential GOP leaders in his cause.

State Rep. Eric Turner, R-Marion, is the deputy House speaker; state Rep. Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville, is the chairman of the House Public Health Committee, and both have pledged their support for Brown's effort.

Like Charlie Brown, Turner and Tim Brown say they'd like to see a total ban on indoor smoking but know there has to be compromise.

Casino floors, cigar and hookah clubs and private clubs would be able to receive exceptions.

And as long as tobacco remains legal, which likely will be forever, there should be a haven of refuge for smokers to go where they can indulge to their heart's content yet not threaten the health of anyone else.

Three-quarters of a loaf is better than none. It's time for Indiana to enter the 21st century in terms of its concern for the health of its residents and give the disenfranchised majority its due.

The opinion is solely that of the writer. He can be reached at mark.kiesling@nwi.com or (219) 933-4170.