Senate committee adopts state smoking ban bill

Monday, March 24 2008

The battle over a statewide smoking ban caught fire Monday with adoption by a Senate committee of a controversial bill that would prohibit people from lighting up in restaurants, bars and most other indoor spaces.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee's bill has a chance of passing the full Senate but little prospect of emerging from the House during the current 2008 session.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has endorsed a statewide smoking ban.

Sen. David Wysong, a Mission Hills Republican and chief sponsor of the measure, said the issue of public smoking would be a theme of this year's legislative campaigns if Senate Bill 660 stalled out.
Story continues at cjonline.com...