‘Unanimous approval’ expected on coordination vote today

“It’s going to be a unanimous approval,” a source close to the situation told Vapor Voice. A vote on whether to move forward with a “coordination” complaint against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected today in Hartland, Wisconsin (see update soon on vaporvoicemagazine.com). Village officials conducted a public hearing related to “coordination and lack of coordination” by the FDA and other agencies regarding deeming regulations on vapor products last week.

Federal and state statutes require administrative agencies to “coordinate” with local governments in developing and implementing plans, policies and management actions. These statutes create a process allowing local governments to have an equal voice in negotiations, especially on issues related to a community’s economic stability, and social and cultural cohesiveness.

Village officials do not believe the FDA complied with the coordination statutes. Mark Block, founder and director of the Electronic Vaping Coalition of America, wrote in a statement today that he “expect[s] the Hartland Village Board will vote this evening to forward the findings to the FDA Commissioner, the Secretary of HHS, and to the Council on Environmental Quality, within the White House.”

Several industry experts spoke during the hearings.