Tagged: Eric Turner

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.

Indiana’s inheritance tax will be phased out over ten years under a bill heading to Governor Mitch Daniels. 

With the exception of charitable organizations and spouses, the inheritance tax is levied on people who inherit money or property.  The legislature approved a measure Friday that will phase the tax out over the next ten years.

In the end, Indiana is estimated to lose about $165 million a year in revenue.  Despite the revenue loss, bill author Eric Turner (R-Cicero) says eliminating the inheritance tax is simply good for Hoosiers.

“This bill will help small businesses, family farms and just regular folks who’ve saved a little bit over their lifetime and want to leave something to their children or grandchildren.”

Lawmakers have reached a compromise on a statewide smoking ban.

The measure was passed by the House late last night and is expected to be voted on by the Senate today.

The proposed ban includes exemptions for bars, casino gaming floors, cigar and hookah bars, tobacco stores and private clubs.

But it eliminated exemptions for bingo halls and health-care facilities which had been added by the Senate.

Senate supporters of the bill are uncertain whether they have the votes to win passage for the compromise version.

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.

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.