North Carolina's senators are fighting a bill that would allow the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the sale of tobacco.
A vote in the U.S. Senate on Monday allowed the bill to move forward, and the House already passed a similar version of the legislation, which the president has said he will sign into law.
Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan have been working together for months to create a plan to regulate tobacco without involving the FDA. Their last plan was rejected a few weeks ago, but Burr's office has confirmed they will try once again to create a new agency to regulate the industry.
North Carolina is the nation's top tobacco producer, and the industry employs tens of thousands of the state's residents. The alliance between Republican Sen. Burr and Democrat Sen. Hagan is understandable.
"I think you need to realize here in North Carolina, many of these farms are third-generation farmers. Their families live here. This is their way of life. This is their culture," said Hagan.
The two senators were stalled on Capitol Hill a few weeks ago when they proposed the Federal Tobacco Act of 2009, an alternative plan to handing the regulatory reigns to the FDA. The senators agree the tobacco industry should be regulated; they just don't believe the FDA is the best choice.
A new and improved plan is scheduled to be presented Tuesday and will highlight what the pair see as flaws in the legislation. The senators say giving the FDA complete control won't do enough to reduce smoking. Under their plan, a new agency would be created to study the benefits of reducing nicotine levels.
The bill that narrowly passed the Senate on Monday does not call for such measures.
Round 2 of Hagan and Burr's proposal will encourage adult smokers to switch to smokeless tobacco products, which could bode well for R.J. Reynolds.
But even the state of North Carolina has taken a tough stance on tobacco. Lawmakers recently banned smoking in virtually all public places.
For 10 years, the House has been trying to light a fire to federally regulate the content of tobacco products and now momentum appears to be on the House's side.
Burr's office believes their bill could come up for a vote as soon as it's introduced.
A vote in the U.S. Senate on Monday allowed the bill to move forward, and the House already passed a similar version of the legislation, which the president has said he will sign into law.
Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan have been working together for months to create a plan to regulate tobacco without involving the FDA. Their last plan was rejected a few weeks ago, but Burr's office has confirmed they will try once again to create a new agency to regulate the industry.
North Carolina is the nation's top tobacco producer, and the industry employs tens of thousands of the state's residents. The alliance between Republican Sen. Burr and Democrat Sen. Hagan is understandable.
"I think you need to realize here in North Carolina, many of these farms are third-generation farmers. Their families live here. This is their way of life. This is their culture," said Hagan.
The two senators were stalled on Capitol Hill a few weeks ago when they proposed the Federal Tobacco Act of 2009, an alternative plan to handing the regulatory reigns to the FDA. The senators agree the tobacco industry should be regulated; they just don't believe the FDA is the best choice.
A new and improved plan is scheduled to be presented Tuesday and will highlight what the pair see as flaws in the legislation. The senators say giving the FDA complete control won't do enough to reduce smoking. Under their plan, a new agency would be created to study the benefits of reducing nicotine levels.
The bill that narrowly passed the Senate on Monday does not call for such measures.
Round 2 of Hagan and Burr's proposal will encourage adult smokers to switch to smokeless tobacco products, which could bode well for R.J. Reynolds.
But even the state of North Carolina has taken a tough stance on tobacco. Lawmakers recently banned smoking in virtually all public places.
For 10 years, the House has been trying to light a fire to federally regulate the content of tobacco products and now momentum appears to be on the House's side.
Burr's office believes their bill could come up for a vote as soon as it's introduced.
