[7] He also served as Chairman of the General Assembly's Tobacco Task Force.
[8] In 1990, Gedling received his first challenge for his seat when Republican James Holbrook ran against him.
[11][12] In the late 1980s and early 1990s Gedling became known as a fierce defender of tobacco and smokers’ rights.
[13] During this time he was still the Chairman of the General Assembly's Tobacco Task Force.
He thought it was very hypocritical to take state funds (much of which came from the tobacco industry) and then try to ban the product from areas of campus.