A troop of Girl Scouts in Aurora were victorious last week in convincing Aurora City Council members to pass an ordinance banning smoking and vaping in cars when juveniles are present.

Or, at least, they were when it came to votes.

With nine members present, the ordinance passed unanimously after a spirited discussion and several amendments fine-tuned the ordinance that was first proposed by the small troop last fall. But newcomer council member Dave Gruber took to Twitter the next morning to voice his difference of opinion with what the council decided.

“Strongly against criminalizing bad parenting. (smoking in car, sugar drinks) Just because government can deny liberty for unhealthy choices, doesn’t mean we should. #inalienable rights,” he said.

Gruber did state that opinion during discussion on the ordinance, even calling people who smoke in cars with children “stupid.” But he ultimately voted in favor of the ordinance after it was amended to be reviewed in 2020.

The Aurora Sentinel’s QUIDNUNC column took notice of the tweet:

“Seems that new-bees Dave Gruber, Allison Hiltz , Nicole Johnston and Crystal Murillo have found their seats and ‘yes’ buttons on the dais, but not everyone’s sure how the buttons and the rules work,” the anonymous jokester columnist wrote.

“He said (in another tweet) he voted for the bill ‘In order to add a sunset provision to the ordinance. If I had voted no, the ordinance would apply forever without review.’ Your faithful hack requests someone on the top floor of city hall send Councilman Gruber a copy of  Robert’s Rules or provides one of ‘those visits’ from Robert’s best friend, the wonky Councilman Charlie-aka-former-city-attorney Richardson.”

Gruber’s next-day comments weren’t the only attention grabber during the ordinance reading. Councilwoman Allison Hiltz shot back at Gruber and councilman Bob LeGare for openly calling people who smoke in cars with kids “stupid.”

The Aurora Sentinel was there to report the interaction:

Councilwoman Allison Hiltz requested a different word be used so not to offend any Aurora resident.

“If somebody can’t put cigarettes down long enough… maybe they should put their kids up for adoption,” LeGare said.

Hiltz shot back later on Twitter, “I believe that, as elected officials, it is our responsibility to maintain professionalism and refrain from name-calling on the dais. These comments were not made in a bar or in a private setting, they were made in a public meeting.”

The ordinance is up for one final vote by Aurora City Council. The Girl Scout troop that proposed the law did so in their quest for a Silver Award, the top achievement a Girl Scout Cadette can earn.