On Thursday, February 19th at the State Capitol in Little Rock, Senate Bill 154 (An ACT to Protect the Health and Safety of Arkansas’s Children; and to Prohibit Sales and Distribution of Novelty Lighters) passed unanimously in the Senate.
Firesafetyeducator.com was at the Capitol and covered the proceedings during the vote on the Senate floor, interviewed Little Rock Fire Department Assistant Chief Don Kinney and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.
Below you will find an article written by the Associated Press
The state Senate has approved legislation that bans the sale of novelty lighters.
By a 34-0 vote Thursday, the Senate approved the bill that bans lighters resembling items recognized as appealing to children, such as cartoon characters, toys or animals. The bill sets a fine of between $25 to $500 for retailers selling the lighters.
Sen. Sharon Trusty, R-Russellville, sponsored the bill. Trusty said 13 other states and 20 cities in Arkansas already ban the lighters.
In September 2007, investigators attributed the deaths of 15-month-old Peyton Edwards and 2-year-old Breydon Edwards of Russellville to the boys playing with a lighter.
The bill now heads to the state House.
*Note from firesafetyeducator.com~ To date, 2 states have passed legislation, Maine and Tennessee
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The bill is scheduled to go before the House Committee on AGING, CHILDREN AND YOUTH, LEGISLATIVE & MILITARY AFFAIRS. Firesafetyeducator.com will post information on when the committee will meet as soon as the information becomes available .
For more information about the novelty lighter initiative or for other questions that you may have, please call me at 479.979.7328 or email me at daynark@gmail.com. You may also contact Lt. Mark Shoemaker at 501-812-5942 or email him mshoemaker@northlittlerock.ar.gov
Other important links:
SB 154: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Bills/SB154.pdf
SB 154 Status: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Pages/BillStatusHistory.aspx?measureno=SB154
No Novelty Lighters Website
http://www.nonoveltylighters.com
Video from KATV Channel 7 Little Rock
http://cfc.katv.com/videoondemand.cfm?id=34004
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