State Smoking Age Won’t Go to 21, Legislature Kills Bill

Perhaps one of the most surprising aspect of this is that the Democrat-controlled Washington state House killed the bill.

Friday, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a statement expressing "disappointment" over the House Finance Committee for killing House Bill (HB) 1458.

The committee, by a vote of 9-7, passed an amended version of the bill, which would raise the smoking age from 18 to 19, but push the implementation date (if it passes) out four more years.  Ferguson called it a "gutted" version of the original proposal. He had been in favor of such a bill, and several legislators introduced it, at his urging.

Co-sponsored by a pair of representatives, one Democrat and one GOP, the original bill would have raised the smoking age and consumption of tobacco products to 21, and would have included electronic e-cigs, or vaping.

The amended bill still would have to clear the GOP-controlled Senate, where it's future is uncertain. The bill will first be voted on in the House, where it's expected to pass.