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by Darkseid
on Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:15 am |
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Darkseid
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1351
Location: Peoples Republik of oHEILo
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by BWilliams
on Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:18 am |
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Good news, thought I'd post the whole story here for everonye, thanks for the link!
House committee tables smoking ban
HARRISBURG — A proposal to ban smoking in restaurants, bars and other public places faces a cloudy future after a House committee on Tuesday failed to muster enough votes to approve it.
Gov. Ed Rendell, meanwhile, lent his support to a statewide smoking ban and said he was “disappointed” by the committee’s delay.
“I know a lot of the legislators here believe that (smoking bans) should be done on a local basis ... but I believe a statewide ban would be good, and I’d be willing to sign it,” the governor said.
His remarks came after the House Health and Human Services Committee spent nearly an hour amending and debating a measure that would forbid smoking in a variety of businesses, including bars and restaurants, malls, grocery stores, sports arenas, convention halls and casinos. It also would extend to workplaces, requiring employees to leave the premises before lighting up.
Several other states have similar bans. At least 14 states have smoke-free laws for restaurants, 11 ban smoking in the workplace, and 10 have smoking bans that extend to bars, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation.
The controversial bill banning smoking in Pennsylvania appeared to be headed for committee approval after lawmakers voted to strengthen some of the no-smoking rules and rejected a proposal that would have allowed any bar or restaurant to apply for a variance to become a “smokers’ establishment.”
Momentum quickly faded when the 28-member committee voted 14-14 on final approval. A tie normally means defeat, but committee Chairman George Kenney, who supports a smoking ban, quickly moved to reconsider the vote and table the bill. Tabling the bill allows the possibility of another vote if its supporters can sway the opposition.
“I was surprised by the vote,” Mr. Kenney, R-Philadelphia, said afterward. “I thought there would be enough to pass it. ... I think it’s in the best interests of Pennsylvanians to ban smoking in public places.”
The ban has the backing of the American Cancer Society, SmokeFree Pennsylvania and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, but has drawn criticism from groups including the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association and the Pennsylvania Tavern Association, who fear its impact on business.
Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township, the only Northeastern Pennsylvania lawmaker on the committee, was among those who voted against the measure.
“I support bans in public places like malls and day care centers,” he said. “(But) I still think there has to be a solution to allow adults who want to smoke to smoke.”
Mr. Eachus voted for the failed amendment that would have created a designation for “smokers’ establishments,” saying such a designation would have provided “a fair balance” for smokers and non-smokers. |
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BWilliams
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by naptownKrabbi
on Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:00 pm |
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um...bill...dark...that article is 2 years old...
wishful thinking...  |
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naptownKrabbi
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Apr 01, 2005
Posts: 354
Location: Pennsylvania
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by BWilliams
on Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:08 pm |
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LOL, thanks naptownkrabbi ... I hadn't looked at the date!  |
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BWilliams
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by Darkseid
on Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:28 am |
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| That's weird-at the top of the page, it says March 8th, 2008, which is what I was looking at. |
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Darkseid
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by Darkseid
on Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:42 am |
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Darkseid
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Posts: 1351
Location: Peoples Republik of oHEILo
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