Posted on 05/15/2005 9:34:48 AM PDT by SheLion
Smoking Ban Alerts
The following states have strong bills that include 100% smokefree workplaces and/or restaurants and/or bars; OR repeals preemption:
Alabama: SB413 (restaurants and bars)—Favorable 2nd reading in committee
Colorado: SB207 (restaurants and bars)—Amended and passed House Committee
Connecticut: HB5067 (bingo)
District of Columbia: B16-0187 (workplaces, restaurants, and bars), B16-0193 (workplaces, restaurants, and bars)
Georgia: HB426 (workplaces, restaurants, and bars)—Died
Illinois: HB672 (repeals preemption)—Passed Senate Health Committee; SB254 (repeals preemption)—Passed House Local Government Committee
Maine: LD886 (workplaces)
Minnesota: SF404 (workplaces, restaurants, and bars; HF412 (workplaces, restaurants, and bars)
Michigan: SB394/HB4624 (restaurants), SB395/HB4625 (workplaces)
New York: S4375 (casinos)
North Carolina: H76 (restaurants), H239 (partial preemption repeal)—Signed by Governor, H480 (partial preemption repeal)—Amended
Oregon: SB544 (repeals preemption and 100% restaurants); HB2496 (repeals preemption and 100% restaurants)
Pennsylvania: SB602 (workplaces, restaurants, and bars)
Rhode Island: HB6332 / SB1001(bars)—Signed by Governor
South Carolina: S374 (repeals preemption)—Judiciary committee favorably reported, H3759 (restaurants)
Vermont: HB91 (restaurants and bars); HB421 (restaurants and bars)—Passed House
Wisconsin: AB372 (restaurants and bars); SB199 (workplaces and restaurants)
The following states have weak bills that include ventilation, smoking rooms, or other key exemptions:
Georgia: SB90—Signed by Governor
Kansas: HB2495
Maine: LD1417
New Jersey: S1926 / A3424—Amended and passed Senate Committee, A3730/ A3975
Tennessee: SB44 / HB1693
The following states have bills that weaken a current strong law:
Connecticut: HB5801, HB5138, HB6856
Florida: S1348—Passed House and Enrolled, H1297—Substituted with S1348
Maine: LD1186
Massachusetts: SB1214, SB1228, HB2623, HB2612
Minnesota: SF0108
New York: S74, S1123, S1256, A5677, S2370, HB2628
North Carolina: SB482 / HB628—Passed Senate, sent to House
Rhode Island: HB5020, HB5314, HB6311
The following states have preemptive bills:
Minnesota: HF564 / SF560
Nebraska: LB730
Tennessee: SB45/HB1686
The following states have other provisions and should be watched:
Alabama: SB412—Favorable 2nd reading in committee
Arkansas: HB1193—Approved as Act 134
California: AB616—Re-referred to Appropriations Committee
Connecticut: HB6186
Florida: S7034—Died; S1308—Died
Hawaii: HB1394—Died, SB1468—Died; SR106/SCR196/HR16/HCR216—Resolutions Approved
Illinois: HB1516, HB1518
Louisiana: SB314
Maine: LD1156
Massachusetts: SB1271, HB2718, HB2717, SB2640
Nebraska: LB6—Placed on general file, LB305—Placed on general file, LB613—Amended to include provisions of LB604
Nevada: AB118—Passed Assembly, sent to House
New York: A420a
North Carolina: S1
North Dakota: SB2307
Oregon: SB494
Rhode Island: SB937
South Carolina: S351—Sent to Judiciary committee
Wisconsin: AB310, SB173
Legislation Enacted this Session:
Arkansas: HB1193—Prohibits smoking in and on the grounds of medical facilities
Idaho: S1023—Permits smoking in designated areas of state veterans' homes
Montana: HB643—Prohibits smoking in workplaces and restaurants, preemption and smoking allowed in bars and casinos until 2009
North Carolina: S1—Prohibits smoking in Senate chambers
North Dakota: SB2300—Prohibits smoking in public places and workplaces. Smoking allowed in bars and in separately enclosed bar areas of restaurants.
From: Protect Local Control
Smokers are paying the Tobacco Settlement Money 100%. Not Big Tobacco and not the government. But the smoker's!
The states are using smoker's tax dollars to take away our rights and to force private business's into smoking bans.
Your State Information: (up to date)
View your tobacco taxes, a comparison of state excise taxes on cigarettes to state excise taxes on beer and wine, MSA payments to date, State laws, and links to other state-specific information.
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Smoking Ban Alerts Ping!!
Although I am opposed to the Govt banning smoking in privates establishments, they SHOULD ban smoking in public places where smokers toss their butts away without regard to anyone else.
For instance, Miami Beach is littered with thousands, tens of thousands, cigarette butts, in every area of the beach.
One cannot lay a beach towel down on the sand without it being on top of several cigarette butts.
Too bad it's the 99% of smokers, who toss their butts away wherever they may be that make the other 1% look bad.
Remember the days back before the professional anti's got a hold of the war on the smokers? What did we used to see plenty of that are now gone? The cigarette butt receptacles. Remember?
So where else are smoker's supposed to put their butts now? The towns and cities used to have these receptacles on every corner and by trash cans. They have since been removed.
I know that litter makes all of us sick. And when I go out now and smoke outside, I carry an empty Coke can just for my cigarette butts. I just wish they would bring back those cigarette butt receptacles again.
That is an issue of littering and not smoking per say.
To remove smoking from public because of somebody's littering habits doesn't make sense, nor is it the agenda... especially when there are littering law's in place.
Personally, I flick the burning ash off of the butt, snuff it out with my fingers and put it in my pocket if a container isn't available to discard it.
The same people who litter butt's most likely litter many other things also.
No NO! GMTA! :)
California has a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars and it is wonderful to be able to eat your meal in an environment without having to breathe toxic fumes.
And enough people feel as you do to warrant a business decision to open up a no smoking restaurant, as is there enough business to warrant a proprietor to open up a smoking restaurant.
However we all know that this isn't the issue behind political decisions to ban smoking.
I now live in NC and there are restaurants I will not frequent because they don't even have non-smoking sections. Heck, when I first moved here in 1990, people still smoked in the grocery stores. I will never forget the day I was at the meat department and some idiot was dropping ashes all over the packages of steak as he was looking through them.
Hey, if people want to smoke it's there right, but it ends at my nose.
One doesn't have to smoke to be an idiot. ; )
California has a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars and it is wonderful to be able to eat your meal in an environment without having to breathe toxic fumes.
We didn't need government intervention in this. This should have been up to the business owner and his patrons.
Do you realize how many businesses have closed since the smoking ban? Or does that matter to you as long as you are happy.
SMOKING BAN IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA RESTAURANTS
CALIFORNIA: 5-year-old ban in bars leaves owners, customers fuming 5 January 2003 "I think if the government helps me one more time I'll be out of business," Newlove said as most of his customers nodded in agreement.
California Smokers Use Prohibition Tactics to Get Around Ban While cops try to sniff out the worst offenders, in many cases they're butting up against organized opposition. Bartender phone trees warn each other of impending busts, powerful fans blow away tell-tale scents of "smokin' in the boys room" and tin cans double as ashtrays in case of an unexpected visit by police. click here
LOL, you have GOT to be kidding! I can't remember the last time I saw a smoker who was finishing their cigarette who just didn't toss it on the ground, or flick it out their window.
They ignore the littering law. There are signs on the beach and there are trash cans all over the place.
Yet, the sand is covered in spent cigarette butts.
As far as I'm concerned, they have lost the priviledge to smoke on the beach, due to their slovenly ways.
Personally I have much greater fear of glass containers and ripped aluminum cans on the beach.
What's wrong with a hefty fine for not picking up after oneself at the beach? You pick the amount. Everyone. Smoker and non-smoker alike.
I have no problem with taxes and laws uniformly applied.
Isn't the ability to have a choice wonderful?
How about those who don't mind breathing "toxic fumes" (no bias here) while dining?
Have you ever supported a "smoking only" establishment?
If not, why not?
Take away the apples from those who abuse oranges.
That will show 'em! /s
Perhaps you also feel that a total ban on driving is prudent until every last DUI driver is removed from the roads?
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