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By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 | 1 p.m.
Sun Coverage
In a split vote, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee passed legislation that would allow tavern owners to serve food to their smoking customers despite a voter-approved indoor smoking ban.
The lift on the smoking ban would apply to adult-only taverns or adult-only areas inside taverns.
Four Democrats, including committee Chairwoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, voted against the bill that is backed by a coalition of tavern owners and slot route operators.
The coalition has been trying to persuade lawmakers to change the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act since voters passed it in 2006. Its efforts have been mostly unsuccessful.
That ballot measure forced many tavern owners to choose between serving food or allowing smoking, which significantly undercut their business.
“My understanding is this is only allowing food to be served where smoking is allowed and doesn’t broaden (where smoking is allowed),” Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno, said before voting in favor of the measure. “I think it’s a fair bill.”
Health advocates and those who funded the ballot measure opposed the legislation, saying it was an underhanded attempt to poke holes in the indoor smoking ban.
Sponsors of the legislation amended their original bill several times to ensure it would not apply to typical restaurants or other areas where children are allowed.
The measure would also allow indoor smoking at tobacco conventions.
Assembly Bill 571 now heads to the Assembly floor for a vote.
Oh my! This bill is bound to pucker up some anus holes of the non-smokers.
come on las vegas sun...
tell us who voted for it...
who sponsored it...
we want the world to know who these idiots are...
morons like pat hickey...
what a frickin clown he must be!!!
hey Frank every post you make refers to the bad Republicans and Enron and so forth. I'm just curious when will we not have to read about how Enron and the Republicans are at fault for everything from the price of gas to natural disasters. Please let us know when the current governing bodies will take responsibility for the situation the country is in. This way I'll know that there's light at the end of the tunnel and can look forward to you pointing the finger of guilt in another direction. Man you do get boring.
It's not like anything will change.
You can still smoke in ALL of the bars, and you can still order food.
This, despite the whining and complaining about how business declined after the smoking ban. Of course, everyone forgets that the economy took a tank shortly there after.
If you frequent the bars even occasionally, you know that nothing really changed, besides eating your food out of a styofoam container.
The reality is, the numbers are not going to skyrocket back up to the pre-smoking ban days if this passes.
Yeah, blame the non smoking law for lower revenue
Stupid is as stupid does.
It's not 12% unemployment (more likely 18-20%)
it's not homeowners with underwater mortgages
It's not bankruptcies
It's the smoking laws that are hurting business. LOL
Disgusting, unhealthy habit. They still don't get it, do they?
TomD, the sad thing is that the economy and unemployment is improving, so the tavern business will probably rebound a bit, and the pro-smoking crowd can attribute the rebound to this overturning of the law.
Those who try to blame bar and casino business drops on the economy need to do a bit more research. Go to:
http://kuneman.smokersclub.com/PASAN/Sti...
and read the economics part. Pay particular attention to the graph of what happened to Minnesota's Charitable Gambling tax receipts when their bans kicked in. The "World Wide Economic Meltdown" was little more than a blip after the smoking bans hit.
- MJM
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercause...
Yeah, I can also post reports from the American Cancer Society that indicate the dangers of second hand smoke..
For me, whether or not there is a health issue falls behind the fact that the STENCH from your cigarettes permeates a room like a skunk REGARDLESS of filtration and exhaust systems. Smokers don't care that others have to smell their stench. They think it's all about second hand smoke as a health issue. For some of us, it's the STENCH of your cigs that's the issue.
The original bill was deceptively written and passed narrowly, because most people didn't understand it. C'mon folks. This is SIN city. Those who want to take the SIN out of Vegas should just leave. Don't dictate to me what I should eat, drink or smoke. Leave me free. Why do so many LIBS believe in CHOICE when a woman wants to kill a baby in her womb, yet thrive upon taking everyday CHOICES away from the common people? Live and let live. Automobiles kill more folks in this world than second-hand smoke ever will!
If you can't stand the smell or the 2nd hand smoke there's a simple solution - Open your own damn tavern and don't allow smoking. See, isn't it simple. Just be prepared to fend off discrimination lawsuits from smokers who feel they have a right to tell you what you can and can't allow in your place of business. My goodness, where did they learn THAT mindset from??? Oh, ya, that's right.... the government.