KLCC acknowledges receipt of request for Tobacco Regulations legislation

05/06/2013

The Kahnawà:ke Legislative Coordinating Commission (KLCC) wishes to acknowledge that it has received a letter of submission on Friday, 3 Onerahtohkó:wa/May from Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke Tobacco Portfolio Chiefs Billy Diabo, Christine Zachary-Deom, Gina Deer and Robert Patton. According to the letter, the Chiefs “hereby submit this request to have the question of Tobacco regulated by the People through the Community Decision Making Process.”

Further, the Chiefs are requesting that the submission be considered for the Urgent Law Making Process due to the impending threat of federal legislation Bill S-16, “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in contraband tobacco)” This legislation, which is currently in the second reading stage in the Canadian Senate, is also known by its short title: “Tackling Contraband Tobacco.”

The request will be discussed at length at the next KLCC meeting. In accordance with the legislative process, the request will have to go through several steps, which includes proper categorization.

“In no way should it be assumed that this request has automatically gone to the front of the line but, rather, we feel it’s best to advise the community about this submission immediately due to the obvious sensitivity of the subject,” said KLCC Coordinator Kahente Horn-Miller. “Now that it has entered the process, we wish to assure everyone that we will inform the community on all progress or developments on a timely basis.”