California’s Governor Vetoes Parks and Beaches Smoking Ban

If people can’t smoke even on a deserted beach, where can they?

That was the question that Gov. Jerry Brown posed to the California State Assembly on Friday in a pair of letters accompanying his vetoes of A.B. 725 and S.B. 386, both of which sought to ban smoking on state beaches and throughout the state’s parks system.

Brown referenced a similar veto of SB 1333 last year, citing that he believed it to be too broad and far-reaching of a prohibition. Additionally, he said that the fines called for in this year’s bills, which can reach upwards of $485 in SB 386, were simply excessive.

“There must be some limit to the coercive power of government,” Brown closed his veto letters.

The Assembly could still override the governor’s veto, as each chamber would need to approve a bill by a two-thirds vote, which is not out of the question. A.B. 725 passed its third reading in the California Senate 26-11 with three abstaining, while S.B. 386 cleared its final vote in the California Assembly 56-22 with one abstaining.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.