An effort to raise the legal purchasing age for tobacco and similar products to 21 from 18 was vetoed Aug. 24 by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Senate Bill 2332, known as “Tobacco 21,” arose from a nationwide movement to tighten age restrictions on tobacco purchases across the United States.
The bill would have raised the legal purchasing age on more than just tobacco products. Other restricted items would have included alternative nicotine products and electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigarettes.”
There were no Republican cosponsors for the bill in the Senate, with most Republican Senate Caucus members agreeing that if you’re old enough to vote and enlist in the military, you can decide for yourself whether or not you’re old enough to purchase tobacco products. Sen. Rose voted “no.”