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Subcommittee backs bill limiting retail sale of nitrous oxide; sponsor says law is too narrow
Summary
The subcommittee recommended ought-to-pass on HB 16-30 to restrict recreational sales of nitrous oxide by some licensees; Sponsor Senator Murphy said the draft is too narrow because it only applies to liquor-license holders, not all sellers.
The Commerce subcommittee moved HB 16-30 forward with an 'ought to pass' recommendation after members debated the bill's scope.
Senator Murphy (speaker 1) said he would vote no on the bill in its current form because it would make only liquor-license holders criminally liable for selling nitrous oxide recreationally while leaving other sellers unaffected. "If we want to fix this, if we think it's a real public health issue, it should be against the law to sell nitrous oxide and other inhalants, period," he said, calling the draft "badly drafted."
Other members agreed that inhalant misuse poses public-health concerns but expressed differing views on enforcement and which sellers should be regulated. The committee nonetheless voted by voice to recommend the bill advance to the Commerce committee and floor for further consideration.
