Big Tobacco's Florida Legislature
Contributor
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Big Tobacco is at it again. Their lobbyists are running through the corridors of Tallahassee handing out... well, I guess, cigarettes? Whatever they are handing out, it appears to be effective. Big Tobacco may be on the precipice of passing another bill to protect their..., uhm, assets.
Although I know that Big Tobacco can not draft legislation and get it passed...uh, can they? I suppose Senate Bill 2198 just looks like it was drafted by Big Tobacco. What does SB 2198 effectively do? It gives Big Tobacco a safe haven from judgments against it and allows them to appeal every judgment until the highest of high courts throws them out. It allows Big Tobacco to skirt the law, which requires every other citizen in the state of Florida to post an appeal bond before they can appeal a judgment against them. So what? This bill will permit Big Tobacco to clog up the court system for years with both founded and unfounded appeals. It will allow Big Tobacco to drag out their duty to compensate injured smokers and it will, tragically, allow enough time for some injured victims to die. Delay is on the side of Big Tobacco and they want to do anything they can to monopolize that advantage.
Through Senate Bill 2198, the Florida legislature appears to be partnering with Big Tobacco. The legislators are standing against a class of Floridians who have already waited decades to have their day in court. The legislators are standing against already sick Floridians and standing with Big Tobacco. The legislators are giving yet another corporate bail out to an industry that the Florida Supreme Court has said: deceived the public; knowingly manufactured a product they knew was highly addictive, knowingly manufactured a product they knew caused more than a dozen horrible diseases; and who intentionally marketed this very dangerous product to the youngest of Americans.
You have to love Big Tobacco--their lobbyists shop well.