Rogue towns outlaw our right to give kids lung disease

This is outrageous.

At least that's how I expect Arizona lawmakers will see it.

First , earlier this week the city council of Kingman decided that if grown-ups in automobiles callously put the health of child passengers at risk they will be fined $50. (Although, only if they first get pulled over for a traffic offense.)

Then, on Thursday, the Tempe City Council passed a similar ordinance.

A busted taillight may still warrant more police attention than possibly giving you kid lung cancer but, as strange as that seems, these anti-smoking restrictions make Kingman and Tempe trailblazers among Arizona cities.

Innovators.

Trendsetters?

We'll see.

The two towns banned smoking in a car with children under 18. The first offense comes with a $50 fine. Second offense doubles it to $100.

According to the Kingman Daily Miner Councilman Larry Carver argued against the ordinance, saying, "I have the philosophy that government should stay out of child-rearing."

I agree. Government should stay out of child-rearing. Child harming, on the other hand, is another thing.

We've long known about the dangers of second-hand smoke. The bans include e-cigarettes

As Tempe Councilman David Schapira said, "Children are among the most vulnerable in our society, and their health and we-being is incredibly important to me, and to all of us."

LIkewise, the group called Kingman Youth Coalition-Beating Up Teen Tobacco lobbied for the ordinance in that town in order to "protect those who cannot protect themselves."

These renegade actions by two Arizona towns will be a shock and a surprise to members of the Arizona Legislature.

Between cutting funds for education, restricting affordable health care and limiting assistance to needy children our lawmakers must have believed they successfully had removed all protections from Arizona's children.

I wouldn't be surprised if Gov. Doug Ducey called legislators into special session in order to pass a law that overrides these ordinances and restores the right of cigarette-addicted parents to ruin their kids' lungs.

Because if there is one thing Arizona lawmakers believe in -- it's blowing smoke.