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Updated: 6:27 PM Mar 23, 2008
Statewide Smoking Ban Up For Debate Again
State leaders will take up the smoking ban at the state house again Monday. This time the bill faces a different senate committee.
Posted: 5:39 PM Mar 23, 2008Email Address: natasha.trelfa@kake.com |
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It's an issue that just won't seem to burn out. State leaders will take up the statewide smoking ban bill at the state house again Monday. This time the bill faces a different senate committee.
The bill has worn out its welcome in the judiciary committee. Now, in an effort to move the bill forward, the ways and means committee will discuss the original version . But that version, without the recent amendments, has some fired up.
"I think the last bill had revisions everyone could live with," said Tom Jacob, who owns The Cigar Chateau.
Some worry those revisions could be a thing of the past, as the more restrictive, original version of the state smoking ban bill heads to a new committee this week.
"This is our business and to restrict our business and cut back on what we can do and how we present it to customers is a very devastating thing," explains Jacob.
After sitting in the judiciary committee, the bill now heads to the ways and means committee for discussion. But the amendments exempting a number of buildings won't go with it. Those restrictions would eliminate smoking in everything from veterans facilities and bars to tobacco shops.
"We need to balance the need to improve the quality of life for Kansans with the need for them to continue earning their living," said State Sen. Phil Journey, (R) Haysville.
The move may send law makers back to square one, but they say the need for the bill remains the same.
"There's no doubt in my mind that, based upon statistical evidence, second hand smoke does have a negative effect on individuals," said Journey.
Journey says a bright spot to the bill moving will be that it's exempt from deadlines. The end of session just days away. It gives law makers more time to discuss it.
But as law makers head back to the drawing board, people like Tom Jacob say they just hope that process of give and take doesn't take away too much of his ability to run a business.
"If he wants it to be smoking, fine. If he doesn't want it to be, fine. If he wants both, that's his business, not the government's business," said Jacob.
Jacob is expected to testify against the bill at the committee's hearing Monday morning.
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