Governor Rick Scott's office is continuing to push back against "cigar regulations" proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration. The FDA wants to require at least 5,000 hours of testing for new products, and impose a "price floor" on premium cigars.
Lieutenant governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera Wednesday toured the only cigar factory left in Tampa.Lopez-Cantera toured the J.C. Newman Cigar Factory in Ybor City - the only cigar manufacturer still operating in Tampa - to draw attention to proposed regulations from the FDA he says could put the company out of business.
Tuptim Ploysawon is a quality control expert. She's worked at the J.C. Newman factory for almost five years, making money to send back to her family in Thailand.
"I hope they can help us to keep this factory open forever, you know, for everybody, we don't just want to walk out on the street like we're homeless", Ploysawon said.
Bobby Newman is the third-generation owner of the factory. He says he worries about people losing their jobs - and Tampa losing part of its heritage.
"People here, 130 employees, where would they get a job", Newman asked. "The average age is over 50, and we want to take care of them. And we want to keep Tampa - we want to keep cigars in the Cigar City."
The FDA is accepting public comment on the proposed rule through August 8th.