Which legislators have tobacco companies in their districts?

With the General Assembly again considering enacting a smoking ban in restaurants and workplaces, Dome decided to see who represents the tobacco firms.

Alternative Brands, Mocksville:
Rep. Julia Howard, Sen. Andrew Brock

Commonwealth Brands, Reidsville:
Rep. Nelson Cole, Sen. Phil Berger

Lorillard, Greensboro:
Rep. Maggie Jeffus, Sen. Don Vaughan

Philip Morris, Concord:
Rep. Jeff Barnhart, Sen. Fletcher Hartsell

Reynolds American, Winston-Salem:
Rep. Larry Womble, Sen. Linda Garrou

Reynolds American, Tobaccoville:
Rep. Dale Folwell, Sen. Pete Brunstetter

In the 2007 session, Reps. Howard, Jeffus, Barnhart and Womble voted for a smoking ban in public places, while Reps. Cole and Folwell voted against it.

Tobacco companies are gearing up to fight a smoking ban.

The state's three major tobacco companies — Philip Morris, Lorillard and Reynolds American — plan to fight a proposal by Rep. Hugh Holliman to ban smoking in restaurants and other public places.

Michael Shannon, a staff lobbyist for Lorillard, said they think that decision should be left to the marketplace, which is already moving voluntarily toward more smoke-free establishments.

"We think there should be some accommodation for those owners of restaurants, bars or night clubs who know their customers and want to provide a smoking alternative," he told Dome.

He also argued that a provision in the bill that would allow local government to set stricter rules on smoking would put a strain on owners of multiple establishments and create havoc for customers.

"You could have a bar on one side of the street have one set of rules, and a bar on the other side have another set of rules," he said.

Lorillard has also retained Frederick Bone, son of former tobacco lobbyist Roger Bone. Reynolds American has retained lobbyist Eugene Ainsworth. A spokesman for Philip Morris said they will also hire a lobbyist, but none was registered yet with the Secretary of State.

Reynolds American has launched an ad campaign against tobacco regulation by the FDA.

The television ad, featuring a man attempting to spin plates on top of sticks, says that the responsibility of $7 billion in tobacco regulation is being given to the FDA, and that the regulation would be "adding to the plate" of an already busy administration.

It closes with a message for viewers to call their congressman and tell them not to vote for the regulation.

G.K. Butterfield is named in the Raleigh-area ads as a person to contact. Butterfield is not a co-sponsor of the bill giving regulation to the FDA but he supports it for the most part.

His office said there are a "few things in terms of small manufacturing" that he still wants ironed out, but otherwise he is in favor.

The ads will be appearing during local news broadcasts, episodes of "CSI: Miami," "Dr. Phil," "The Late Show with David Letterman" and NCAA regional final and Final Four games.

Reynolds American, the parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, has run similar ads before. In 2007, Reynolds and Phillip Morris combined to spend $10 million in efforts to defeat an Oregon cigarette tax that would have funded children's health care. The bill did not pass.