FRANKFORT, Ky. – Representative Suzanne Miles of Owensboro has joined other Western Kentucky legislators in sending a letter to the Food and Drug Administration urging them to reject a rule under consideration which would severely undermine Kentucky’s signature tobacco industry.
Representatives Suzanne Miles, Richard Heath, Walker Thomas, Jason Petrie, Myron Dossett, and Brandon Reed signed the letter, expressing their support for tobacco farmers against unnecessary overreach by the federal government.
The letter comes in light of a rule under discussion that would effectively ban all flavored tobacco products, crippling the many dark fired tobacco farmers operating in the Commonwealth.
“As representatives of Western Kentucky, we see how detrimental this ban will be to the many hardworking tobacco farmers who toil in the fields to support their families,” the letter states.
Of particular concern to the Owensboro area would be the fate of Swedish Match, a local manufacturer specializing in smokeless tobacco. If the FDA’s proposed rule to be implemented, the effects to them and countless other companies would be devastating.
“I have always stood up against federal government overreach, and this time is no different,” said Rep. Miles, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee. “Our farming communities deserve better than the government seeking to restrict the very products which allow them to make a living and provide for their families.”
Miles represents the 7th House District in the Kentucky General Assembly, including parts of Daviess and Henderson counties and the entirety of Union County.
###