Harwood: ‘Just because you smoke doesn’t mean you’re gonna be ill’

Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, said, “The smokers, I want to thank them for this building we’re in,” noting that Idaho tapped cigarette tax proceeds to pay for the bonds to renovate the state Capitol. “It’s kind of ironic that they can’t smoke in it,” he said. “My mother smoked for 82 years,” and remained in good health, Harwood said. “Just because you smoke doesn’t mean that you’re gonna be ill.”

Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, questioned whether the state would next move to taxing people who eat unhealthy food and risk heart disease. Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, said that’s not the issue. “It’s a spending problem - we’re spending too much money trying to care for everybody’s ailments,” he said. “When you make poor decisions, there’s consequences for that.”