Smoking ban in Louisiana bars? Senate says "No."
 

With a 15-22 vote, the Senate today shot down a bill that would've banned smoking in Louisiana bars — despite the Senate's Health & Welfare Committee's thumbs up for Senate Bill 133, which exempted casinos from the ban, and an aggressive ad campaign by the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco Free Living (TFL).


Likely killing the bill was an amendment that would prevent the Department of Health and Hospitals from renewing or issuing health permits to "any facility operated by or on the lands of a sovereign Indian nation" unless compliant with the law — in other words, casinos were brought back to the mix, effectively destroying any chance of the bill succeeding.… [ Read more ]

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