Free Republic

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- According to a report conducted for bar owners in the state, the workplace smoking ban enacted last year led to the loss of 2,000 industry jobs and millions of dollars in wages. Ridgewood Economic Associates of New Jersey conducted the study for New York Nightlife Association based in New York City, and the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association based in Albany. The report stated that since the state's Clean Indoor Act took effect on July 24 banning smoking in all workplaces, $28.5 million in wages and salary payments and $37 million in gross state product were...

Committee sends bill to the full state SenateInvoking the words of Ronald Reagan and the Founding Fathers, members of the Senate agriculture committee said they were upholding personal freedoms by unanimously approving a bill that would outlaw local smoking bans.By a 10-0 vote, lawmakers embraced Sen. Dan Seum's proposal, which would prohibit cities from banning public smoking in areas other than local government buildings. Under the bill, cities could require businesses to post entrance signs that state their smoking policies, giving adults the choice whether to walk into a smoky environment, the committee members said.Several supporters described the bill as...

Invoking the words of Ronald Reagan and the Founding Fathers, members of the Senate agriculture committee said they were upholding personal freedoms by unanimously approving a bill that would outlaw local smoking bans. By a 10-0 vote, lawmakers embraced Sen. Dan Seum's proposal, which would prohibit cities from banning public smoking in areas other than local government buildings. Under the bill, cities could require businesses to post entrance signs that state their smoking policies, giving adults the choice whether to walk into a smoky environment, the committee members said. Several supporters described the bill as "common sense." "It's a compromise,...

Two bars in southern Maine have been issued citations alleging that they violated the state's month-old anti-smoking law, a sign that the state plans to aggressively enforce the new health initiative.Authorities said complaints registered with the Attorney General's Office led to investigations that found McGillicuddy's in Brunswick and Caswell House in Harrison were not in compliance with the law, which went into effect Jan. 1.Anti-smoking advocates said Thursday that the citations, which could lead to thousands of dollars in fines, show that Maine is committed to a healthier environment for workers as well as bar patrons.An official at the...

AUGUSTA - Attorney General Steven Rowe announced Thursday the first enforcement actions against violators of Maine's smoking ban in bars that went into effect on New Year's Day.Lawsuits were brought against bars in Brunswick and Harrison based on citizen complaints, Rowe said in a statement.A state investigation confirmed that McGillicuddy's in Brunswick and the Caswell House in Harrison failed to observe the state's smoking ban, one of the strictest in the nation, the attorney general said.Mike Molloy, owner of the Caswell House, had no comment Thursday morning. No one from McGillicuddy's was available to comment.