Deadline Looms For Gov. Brown On Raising Tobacco Age To 21
SACRAMENTO (CBS / AP) -- Gov. Jerry Brown faces a midnight deadline to act on six bills to restrict tobacco use in California, including a bill to raise the minimum age to buy cigarettes to 21.
Brown must sign, veto or return the bills to the Legislature Wednesday, or they automatically become law on Thursday.
The Democratic governor has not commented on the package of tobacco proposals.
Other bills would regulate electronic cigarettes, allow local tobacco taxes, establish annual tobacco license fees and push for all charter schools to be tobacco free. One would expand tobacco-free workplaces to include small businesses, break rooms and hotel lobbies.
Democratic lawmakers passed the proposals almost two months ago. Legislative leaders waited to send them to Brown because of political threats from tobacco companies to overturn them.
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