By passing the State House Healthcare and Wellness Committee, it will now soon head for a formal vote. If it passes, it will go to Senate, where a companion bill will be voted on. It is almost a formality that if approved, Gov. Inslee will sign off on it.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson reported Friday by a vote of 9-3 the bill, HB 2313, will now head to the House Finance Committee, where it's expected to clear the Democratically controlled group.

Unlike previous efforts to raise the smoking age, there appears to be more bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate. According to Ferguson's office, the votes went like this on the committee:

"Voting for the bill were Reps. Eileen Cody (D-Seattle), Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island), Richard Debolt (R-Chehalis), Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma), Norm Johnson (R-Yakima), June Robinson (D-Everett), Shelly Short (R-Addy), Steve Tharinger (D-Sequim) and Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim).

Reps. Michelle Caldier (R-Port Orchard), Jim Moeller (D-Vancouver)  and Joe Smick (R-Colfax) voted against the bill."

Smick has been one of the outspoken critics of the idea, saying it violates principles of individual responsibility, and despite the well-known health issues related to tobacco, Smick says it's NOT the government's job to play health care nanny.

Supporters of the bill are hinging almost entirely upon the theory that most adult smokers began some sort of tobacco use by or before age 19. Therefore, by making them illegal til 21, they think these young adults will not begin to use such products.

If the bill eventually becomes law, it would also apply to smokeless and vaping tobacco products, such as e-cigs.

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