A proposed state law making it illegal for cigarette lighters to be sold to minors has sparked controversy between Lawrence convenience store owners and firefighters.

“I don’t know what purpose it serves,” said Sammi Sangam, owner of the Speedway Shell gasoline station, 1733 Mass.

“There have been deaths in Lawrence because of children setting fires,” said Lt. Scott Seratte, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical public education specialist. “It’s a good law; it’d be something I’d like to see pass.”

The bill, submitted by Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita, would make it illegal for lighters to be sold or possessed by minors. Anyone violating the measure would be subject to a $25 fine and court costs.

Under the senator’s bill — SB 106 — retailers would be required to keep the lighters out of reach. Sangam is among gas station owners who say the idea is too restrictive.

“It only makes matters worse for us to keep them behind the counter,” he said. “That makes it very, very difficult.”

Other Lawrence convenience stores said they already keep lighters behind their counters and the legislation would have little effect on them.

“It’d just make it so we’d have to watch it closer,” said Richard Haig, owner of Westside 66 and Car Wash, 2815 W. Sixth St.

From 2002 to 2006, 1,295 fires were set by children, resulting in five deaths and 61 injuries, including 10 firefighters, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Roderick Bremby said.

Seratte said children can become obsessed with fire from a young age, and while it’s important for parents to teach their children about the danger, anything to limit a child’s ability to obtain lighters will help.

But Sangam said convenience stores shouldn’t be punished.

“It’s not that they’re buying (lighters) here and misusing it,” Sangam said. “They could be taking it from their dad or mom or brother, or something.”

The bill was heard by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee on Feb. 10 and could again be discussed in a few weeks, the committee secretary said Friday.

Another piece of proposed legislation — House Bill 2268 — would make it illegal to sell novelty cigarette lighters, including those that resemble cartoon characters, toys and guns, or those that make noise or have flashing lights. The bill has yet to be heard by the house judiciary committee.