Tagged: Charlie Brown

Governor Mitch Daniels says supporters of a statewide smoking ban accomplished about 90% of their goal. 

Smoking will officially be prohibited in public places when the legislation takes effect July 1.  The ban exempts gaming facilities, cigar and hookah bars, tobacco shops and social clubs that take votes every two years to allow smoking.

Despite opposition from the bill’s authors, it also fully exempts bars and taverns that require patrons be 21 or older to enter.  Some smoking ban advocates say if the ban doesn’t encompass everything then there’s no reason to have it.

Daniels says hitting most of the goal is a success.

Lawmakers are working on a final draft of a statewide smoking ban,  but there are still significant issues to overcome and only a few days of session left.  Let's made some legislators admit it’s possible the ban won’t get passed this year.

State Representative Eric Turner (R-Cicero) is one of the ban’s House authors.  He says a total exemption for bars and taverns remains the biggest point of contention between the House and Senate.  But Turner says it’s not the only stumbling block. He’s concerned about a Senate amendment that would prevent local governments from passing tougher bans in the future.

Indiana House and Senate lawmakers will meet Monday to hammer out the details of a final version of statewide smoking ban legislation.  For his part, Governor Mitch Daniels says he’s willing to help the cause.

The House passed a bill with exemptions for gaming facilities, cigar and hookah bars, tobacco shops and fraternal order clubs.  Bars and taverns were only exempted for the first 18 months.  The Senate added more, including a full exemption for bars, taverns and mental health and senior living facilities.

Governor Daniels says he supports a ban with as few exemptions as possible and that he’d prefer the House version, adding he’s willing to make his case for lawmakers on the fence.

The Indiana Senate passed a statewide smoking ban Wednesday.  However, lawmakers still have work to be done before the bill can reach the governor.

The House has passed the ban six consecutive years, but Wednesday marked the first time it even got a vote in the Senate.  Opponents of the bill say it violates property rights and individual freedoms.

State Senator Mike Young (R-Indianapolis) says the smoking ban is government intrusion into business and he worries about the precedent it sets.

“But the next day it will be in your vehicle, it will be in your home and they will tell us what to do in every aspect of our lives.”

The Indiana House has added more exemptions to its statewide smoking ban, but supporters still think the bill can pass the General Assembly.

The bill originally exempted the gaming floors of gambling facilities, cigar and hookah bars, tobacco shops and social clubs.  But in order to help facilitate its passage, bill author State Representative Eric Turner (R-Cicero) expanded the gambling facility exemption to incorporate the entire property, including any bars, hotels or restaurants.

“It’s not something necessarily that I would like to see but I’ve agreed to it. I think there’s another day that we can fight that battle to make Indiana totally smoke free.”

Legislators are hoping a statewide smoking ban will finally get through the Indiana Senate by limiting exceptions to the rule in the 2012 version of the bill.

Only three entities would be exempt from the smoking ban: gaming floors; cigar or hookah bars currently in existence; and existing social clubs whose membership votes every two years to allow smoking. A statewide smoking ban has been passed out of the Indiana House for five consecutive years only to fail in the Senate. 

State Representative Eric Turner (R-Cicero) says this year's bill has the best chance of passage it’s ever had.