RSS
Smoking Ban Vote, Maybe?
By all rights, this should have been a no brainer and should have been done six month ago, yet the Michigan legislature, in its own infinite wisdom has still not imposed a smoking ban in pubic places.
But it could happen this week…underscore the word "could."
With 70% of the non-smokers favoring a total ban, this should be an easy vote, but Detroit casinos, cigar bars and some restaurants have turned it into a tough vote as they battle for an exemption from the total ban.
The anti-smoking gang is willing to let them have it in order to get some ban on the books.
"I'd hate to throw a good chunk of it out, because we felt we needed to go the extra mile," concedes the Ingham County Health Director. What Dr. Dean Sienko is really saying is, half a ban is better than no ban at all.
But even with the anti-tobacco folks talking compromise, the restaurants could gum up the works with a provision that would allow eateries to pay a state fee to avoid the total ban.
Some say that is analogous to making it illegal to run a red light but if you pay a fee, the cops would look the other way.
All this appears to be coming to a head as the Michigan House could vote this week on the legislation but even if it passes there, a huge question mark remains in the Michigan Senate where GOP leader Mike Bishop favors a total ban and most of his colleague supported that earlier this year. The Oakland County lawmaker says if there is a compromise during this lame duck session, the senate could vote again, but if it does not, the whole thing…and you knew this was coming…will go up in smoke.
posted by Tim Skubick at
10:49 AM
3 Comments:
Atlantic City just suspended its smoking ban because of a loss of business. Other state with smoking bans are seeing a huge drop-off in the casinos. With a struggling economy, the last thing we need is more laws that will cost more people their jobs.
It's easy to say 70% of the popular favors a total ban, but that's little comfort to the owners of tobacco shops and cigar bars, where nonsmokers never enter exist only to service those who smoke. That's why most states exempt them. Michigan's activists chose to overreach here.
The state has no compunction banning smoking in a place designed just for smokers, yet is all too happy to take the tax revenue from the product.
Don't they have enough problems to take care of in Lansing and DC?
They talk about banning smoking in public places. What next? Telling me what I can do in my car and my home. Where will it end. Should we be telling people if youre fat you cannot go to a restraunt because people find you offensive, and decrease peoples appetite with your obesity. We need to draw the line here. Some people are paying extra for health insurance because they smoke, next thing will be that if youre over weight you'll have to pay extra because of all the health risks with obesity. Are you willing to go that far?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home