New island of Jersey Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Burlington) has received political money from vainglorious tobacco, including from Philip William Morris US/Altria and the Cigar Association of America. That’s according to campaign finance records obtained past the Star-Ledger.
Greenwald has served inward Trenton since 1996 and has held the attitude of absolute majority leader inward the Assembly for to a greater extent than a decade. One of the most powerful lawmakers inward New Jersey, Greenwald recently sided with the Atlantic City gambling casino manufacture on considerations of requiring the IX gaming venues to go alone smoke-free.
New reports evoke Greenwald has a financial motivator to backwards the casinos, which want to persist in allowing indoor smoking in designated areas. Political finance records reveal that Greenwald has received to a greater extent than $30K from groups fastened to bounteous tobacco.
Greenwald countered the Star-Ledger report past saying he’s no friend of bounteous tobacco and would task cigarettes “out of existence” if he could. He said his father died from a lifetime of baccy use.
He has, nonetheless, accepted the giving tobacco plant money and used it to assist lightness a flack under his political campaigns. He added that his donors don’t acquire to pattern his policy positions, but said considering input from various sides is of import in insurance policy discussions.
Greenwald thinks there power live to a greater extent seize solutions to the casino smoking matter, such as enclosed smoking rooms where slots would operate. In July, Greenwald was named the Legislator of the Year past the New island of Jersey Hospital Association.
Organization Demands Return of Tobacco Money
CEASE, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, is leading the grassroots sweat to closelipped the casino smoking loophole created through and through the state’s 2006 Smokefree Air Act. CEASE announced last-place week its intention to variant a political litigate citizens committee to monetary fund candidates who backing providing them with an indoor workplace free of toxic smoke.
CEASE told Casino.org on Mon eve that Greenwald should coming back the to a greater extent than $30K he’s received from Prince Philip Gouverneur Morris US/Altria and other tobacco-related lobbyists.
For months, Lou Greenwald has been the leading proponent of creating Duke of Edinburgh Morris smoking rooms and ensuring workers same us must carry on to set our lives at risk of exposure every day. Now we cognise at to the lowest degree ace understanding wherefore — he’s been taking their movement contributions,” opined Pete Naccarelli, CEASE co-founder and an Atlantic Ocean City table games dealer. “The majority leader should halt putting the interests of casinos and Big Tobacco o'er workers and ordinary people and devote backward this money right on away.
“He may utter a unspoiled mettlesome around caring most us workers, but that speak is chintzy when he’s parroting manufacture talking points and undermining life-saving legislation after taking their money. It’s time to set our lives first,” Naccarelli added.
Greenwald says he’s interested a total smoking censor testament devastate casino revenue and guide to industrywide layoffs. It’s a prospect shared by the casino executives.
Resorts President Mark Giannantonio, who heads up the Casino Association of New Jersey, said a smoking censor would “have a significant adverse effect” on Atlantic City and its primary election economical engine.
“We seem send on to continuing this dialog as we displace forward, to find a compromise that will turn to the concerns of our employees without jeopardizing jobs and benefits to some of our most vulnerable citizens,” Giannantonio said. “The cassino manufacture will go along to work with stakeholders on a via media that supports the betterment of the city, the tourism and gaming industries, and the collective involvement of the entire Atlantic City workforce.”
Casinos Barred From Political Activity
State practice of law in New Jersey prohibits casinos from flat making political contributions, but lobbyists and attorneys who act with the IX resorts can buoy make donations to lawmakers supportive of insurance matters impacting Atlantic Ocean City.
Greenwald says he has “zero relationship” with the cassino industry. He believes any casino smoking modify should protect non only when gambling casino workers’ health but also their jobs.
It’s really the hone time to have inward a elbow room and try i another,” Greenwald said of the gambling casino smoking public debate that’s expected to resume in the Trenton majuscule next year.
Sen. Mike Testa (R-Cumberland) agrees.
“I want to keep inwards idea the wellness of the employees and the health of the patrons, but Atlantic City is inwards fair unsound shape. I don’t need this to follow the nail in the casket for the casino industry.”
Former New island of Jersey and stream state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex), who signed the 2006 Smokefree Air Act into law, said the “bad guys hold won.”
“We get committed people to decease from fume inhalation. It’s a terrible, horrible death. I know. I’m a funeral director,” Codey said.
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