Up In Smoke
The state's smoking ban is back at the Legislature. Two efforts to carve out exceptions to the ban narrowly missed being included in the House HHS bill tonight.
The first try came from Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, who attempted to set a up a scheme where bars could have a ventilated room with no food or liquor service. It failed, 63-69, but not before a Rukavina-esque blast across the floor fo the House.
"You love to hammer on those poor smokers with a regressive tax and then make them stand outside when its 35 below and make them feel like second-class citizens,” he chided.
The next came from Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker. It would set up "shelters" seperate from the main body of a bar where people can smoke. Kind of like smoking outhouses.
That too was defeated, but it was close. The full House was evenly divided, 67-67.
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