January 28, 2022 09:35 AM UTC

You'll Pry Fruity Swisher Sweets From Tim Neville's Cold Dead Hands

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• by: Colorado Pols

Westword’s Conor McCormick-Cavanaugh reported late last week on House Bill 22-1064, introduced by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers to ban flavored tobacco products statewide after a similar ban was vetoed by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock last December:

“It’s not an easy topic to address. This is a contentious topic,” says Representative Kyle Mullica, a Democrat from Federal Heights who is co-sponsoring the bill with Representative Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat; Senator Rhonda Fields, a Democrat from Aurora; and Senator Kevin Priola, a Republican from Henderson…

“I just think it’s good policy,” says Priola. “I think the data shows that flavors are targeted toward attracting young people to smoking and minority folks who disproportionately have health-care issues from it and costs. It doesn’t prohibit the sale of tobacco. It basically says you have to sell tobacco in the original flavor.”

But given how much money is at stake for tobacco companies and store owners, the fight over the bill will be intense. “The industry that makes a lot of money off of kids and folks in certain communities by addicting them to substances, they’re well financed,” Priola notes.

Lobbying pressure is expected to be intense on this bill, and though we haven’t seen any disclosures about who is in the mix, former far-right state Sen. Tim Neville, whose political consultant business has slowed since his son Patrick lost his job as House Minority Leader, sure sounds like a man with a vested interest:

Here come Colorado’s Nazi Nannies! Democrats Mullica, Bacon, and Fields, and RINO Kevin Priola. The only cure? #NeverVoteDemocrat #NeverVoteRino Ever!

Forget Lauren Boebert and the “Needle Nazis,” because Tim Neville has that beat with “Colorado’s Nazi Nannies”–and best of all, this new club includes a fellow Republican, Sen. Kevin “RiNO” Priola! It’s true that Priola is the Republican most regularly subjected to the far right’s two minutes of hate, but this is could be the first time Priola has personally been the subject of a validation of Godwin’s Law.

Or, Neville could just be a big fan of flavored cigars. We hear they’re popular with kids of all ages.