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Smoking in cars ban fails in Senate

A proposal that would ban smoking in cars failed in the Senate today.  

Some skeptics, like Republican Senator Dave Syverson from Rockford, wondered how much good it would do for children whose parents smoke. 

"These children are going to be in the same home with these parents 24 hours a day, so that little bit of time in the vehicle, is it--does it really have that kind of an impact than what--than what's happening with their lives anyways?"

The Illinois African-American Family Commission spoke out against the bill. The group is concerned it would lead to racial profiling. 

The measure failed  with only eight senators voting for it. Backers of the ban say second-hand smoke in small spaces like cars is especially dangerous for kids' health. 
 

Lisa Ryan is a graduate student in the public affairs reporting program at the University of Illinois at Springfield. She previously worked at Indiana Public Radio and the college radio station founded by David Letterman. She is a 2014 broadcast journalism and political science graduate of Ball State University.