Free Republic

Toledo bar owners find loophole to let patrons light upTOLEDO — James Pierson sat at the corner of the bar with a cigarette in his hand and a court summons in his coat pocket.The retired autoworker was charged about a month ago with violating the city’s ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.That wasn’t stopping him from a beer and another cigarette."In reality, I’m breaking the law right now," said Pierson, 62, of Temperance, Mich. "Everybody should stand up for their rights."Defiant smokers and tavern owners in cities where smoking has been outlawed are rising up to protest, staging "smokeins"...

BOSTON -- The push for a statewide smoking ban hit a snag in the state Legislature yesterday when a senator successfully blocked the formation of a committee charged with drafting a compromise version of the legislation. Late last year, the Senate and House of Representatives both passed slightly different versions of a statewide ban on smoking in the workplace. Last week, House leaders appointed several state representatives who will meet behind closed doors with their Senate counterparts to hash out the differences between the two bills. The Senate was poised to name three senators to serve on that "conference committee"...