Terry Friedman: The Father of California’s Smoking Ban
Terry B. Friedman, who served eight years in the California Legislature, was responsible for carrying legislation three decades ago that affects every Californian and helped spawn a national movement.
As a Democratic assemblyman representing part of West Los Angeles, Friedman was the author of a bill that banned smoking in all in-door workplaces including restaurants and bars. Several other states followed California’s lead.
In this three part oral history interview with Open California, Friedman tells the story of how Assembly Bill 13 in the 1993-94 legislative session came about, recalling how he and his supporters built a coalition that included organized labor and many business groups, but faced formidable opposition from savvy tobacco industry lobbyists.
He tells of overcoming opposition from Speaker Willie Brown and some other Democratic lawmakers, as well as some anti-smoking activists who tried to derail the bill. In the end, Republican Gov. Pete Wilson signed AB 13 into law.
In part because of Friedman’s policy success, Democrats paid a steep political price. Philip Morris, USA, the world’s largest cigarette maker, spent $125,000 in a late-hour move to unseat a Democratic assemblywoman in the 1994 election, helping Republicans secure a 41-39 seat advantage in the Assembly.
Friedman left the Assembly in 1994, winning an election for a superior court judgeship.
Interviewed by Dan Morain in Santa Monica, CA on June 21, 2023. It has been edited for clarity and continuity.
PART I
PART II
PART III
Interviews in Open California’s Oral History Project are made possible by a grant from the California State Library