Kansas Smoking Ban Hypocrisy

Press Release

While Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gray appreciates the passion concerning the Kansas smoking ban that his opponents displayed during the KCWH debate, he finds their hypocrisy irritating. "Where were they when this was all going on?" asked Gray. "I was at the forefront fighting this smoking ban on the grounds of property rights and the gut-wrenching hypocrisy of it all. If one of these lifelong politicians had had the political courage to stand up and say then what they are saying now we probably could have preserved the freedom for Kansans to allow a legal activity on their own property. Shame on them for standing silent when Kansans needed them to act; shame on them for only speaking up now when it can serve their own campaign! "

Andrew Gray and the Libertarian Party of Kansas were very active not only fighting the statewide smoking ban, but local bans that preceded it. Throughout the process, Gray and other Libertarian volunteers helped with petition drives, spoke at city council meetings, and attended state house discussions. Gray became a leading spokesperson for property rights statewide. He is quoted in countless articles and appeared on both TV and radio programs as an advocate for property rights. However, their efforts fell short and the smoking ban, complete with an exemption for state-owned casinos, became state law on July 1st. Gray blames that outcome on politicians like Brownback and Holland failing to stand up in public and speak the truth when it really mattered.

Gray says, "If only our politicians would do the right thing all the time, and not just when they want our vote, we would live in a very different Kansas and America. This kind of politics is exactly why I'm running to be the next Governor of Kansas. Kansans not only need new ideas; we need to start electing more civil servants and fewer politicians. The hypocrisy is sickening."

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