Saturday, February 23, 2008

Nebraska Lawmakers Pass Statewide Smoking Ban

Just days after the Iowa House passed a statewide smoking ban, with a controversial but likely surviving exemption for casinos, Nebraska's one-chamber Legislature passed a statewide with more limited exemptions.

The Husker bill has major implications for western Iowa, particularly Council Bluffs and Sioux City, places with casinos that would pull bargoers and gamblers and even others just looking for an indoor place that still allows smoking.

Here is the Omaha World-Herald:

Voting 34-14, lawmakers passed Legislative Bill 395, which prohibits smoking in all public buildings and workplaces statewide, including bars and restaurants.

It makes exceptions only for tobacco shops, some hotel rooms and laboratories used for research on smoking. Private homes used for businesses would not be covered unless they were used as licensed child care facilities.

The bill would go into effect June 1, 2009.


Republican Gov. Dave Heineman has not announced whether he will sign the bill but the 34 votes are enough to override a veto so the measure, unless a few lawmakers are peeled away, will go into effect as passed.

This story also cross-posted at Iowa Independent.com.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well Iowa.....take advantage of Nebraska's Nanny Government.

Let the private sector, men and women who have spent their lives in trying to make a living continue to determine what transpires in their OWN BUSINESSES!

Go Iowa....go....keep your freedom!

Anonymous said...

IOWA CAN BE RICH....BECAUSE NEBRASKA HAS DECIDED TO BE STUPID.

28 states have smoking bans....sorry, only 13 states have bans that are as comprehensive as Nebraska's....and many of them are rethinking their stupidity! Do the research.

Last time I checked...tobacco was legal...like gambling....like eating too much....like alcohol....etc...etc...etc...

Allow private owners to determine what transpires in their businesses. People can read and make intelligent choices.

Most of the country is struggling financially. Why would any legislature pass laws that continue to inhibit economic growth? HELLO????