Assembly passes smoking ban at child care, arcades

Kirsten Searer

Friday, April 15, 2005 | 9:29 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Assembly voted Thursday to ban smoking in most child care facilities and in video arcades.

Assembly Bill 118 stipulates that public child care facilities cannot set aside an area where employees can smoke, regardless of how many children the facility serves. People who have child care facilities in their home could continue smoking in private areas.

Several assembly members had lobbied to increase smoking regulations in the bill, perhaps banning smoking in grocery stores. But the Assembly Judiciary Committee eventually decided not to amend the bill.

It's sponsor, Assemblywoman Kathy McClain, D-Las Vegas, told them it would face tougher time passing the Senate if it banned smoking in other businesses.

Also on Thursday, the Assembly approved Assembly Bill 123, which creates a new crime to possess an electronic stun gun for any purpose other than self defense.

People would be prohibited from possessing a stun gun if they have been convicted of a felony, are a fugitive of justice, have been declared by a court as incompetent or insane, or if they have been admitted to a mental facility in the last five years.

Minors would be banned from using stun guns unless they employed it for self defense in their own residence.

Both bills now go to the Senate.