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Farner-Bocken Co.
1751 US Hwy 30E
Carroll, IA 51401
(712) 792-3503
(712) 792-3513 Fax
http://www.farner-bocken.com/
Offices in Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismark, Minot, Williston and Dickinson |
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Term limits to make more cuts in 2008
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Author : Erin Boeckman
Date : 10/17/2007
Senior Staff Writer
(OK) Oklahoma legislators bidding adieu to the Legislature in 2008 will join other lawmakers leaving state capitols that have term limits, the effects of which are still under debate.
Thirteen Oklahoma representatives and senators will hit the boundaries of their term limits in 2008. During the last election cycle in 2006, 24 legislators - 15 House members and nine senators - left their offices due to term limits. Oklahoma was one of the first states to implement legislative term limits. While some states have joined in the move to limit the time legislators can spend in office, whether term limits deliver on the promises made by proponents has prompted some states to reconsider the issue.
Oklahoma voters approved term limits in 1990. As stated in State Question 632, the law prohibits a legislator from serving more than 12 years in the House of Representatives or the Senate. Colorado and California voters passed similar initiatives the same year. Although 15 states currently have term limits in law, at one time 21 states had term limits. Some states introduced legislation to do away with term limits, and court challenges were waged against term limits in other states. Proponents of term limits listed advantages such as the increased likelihood of more people getting involved in the political process, decreased dependency of legislators on special interests and a balance of power between senior and freshman lawmakers, according to a report by the Oklahoma Policy Research Center. On the other hand, opponents of term limits argued that the restraints limit voter options, increase the ability of seasoned lobbyists to influence unseasoned legislators and prevent representatives from gaining sufficient experience to make good public policy.
Because of the critical role legislatures play in shaping state budgets and policies, three organizations initiated a three-year analysis of nine states that enacted term limits. The National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments and the State Legislative Leaders' Foundation published its findings in a report in 2006. While the method of term limit implementation may vary from state to state, the summary of the joint research project concluded that many of the impacts on the legislative institution are negative.
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Commissioner Firmly Opposes FDA Regulatory Oversight of Tobacco Products
Thursday, October 11, 2007
From American Wholesale Marketers Association
October 11, 2007
Although not present at last week’s Congressional hearing on legislation to authorize his agency to regulate tobacco products, FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach sent a statement to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health in which he said: "Associating the agency with the approval of these inherently dangerous products would undermine the agency’s mission."
Dr. von Eschenbach said that, while his agency should not be required to regulate tobacco, it is open to some expanded role in the fight against smoking, reported The Courier-Journal. The FDA Commissioner’s opposition to the bill is, in part, because the bill would not give the FDA the adequate money or timeframe to establish a new regulatory structure for tobacco.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) has said that the FDA is best suited to regulate tobacco because it has the scientific expertise. "It’s really remarkable that a cigarette is subject to less regulation than a lollipop," Waxman said. "We have a moral obligation to do better."
During the October 3 hearing, several Republican members of the Subcommittee on Health voiced their objections to the bill. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), a physician and former smoker, called the proposed regulation of tobacco a waste of taxpayer dollars. Smoking is inherently harmful and should be fought in other ways, Burgess said.
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Oklahoma tied for third highest rate of smokers
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Oklahoma tied for third highest rate of smokers
by: Associated Press
9/28/2007 4:17 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A new study shows Oklahoma is tied for the third highest smoking rate in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one-fourth of the residents of both Oklahoma and Mississippi were smokers in 2006.
Kentucky had the highest rate with 28.6 percent of adults who smoke.
The lowest rate is in Utah where just under 10 percent of the population smokes.
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