Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Committee sends smoking bill to House
The legislation requires restaurants to post whether they allow smoking on their premises.
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roanoke.com/politics
RICHMOND -- A House of Delegates committee endorsed legislation Tuesday that would prohibit restaurants from allowing smoking unless they post signs informing customers of their policies.
House Bill 2422 is aimed at curbing smoking in restaurants, but stops far short of a broad, indoor workplace ban that is under consideration in the Senate.
Del. Morgan Griffith, the sponsor of the House bill, said he will strike the legislation if lawmakers attempt to amend it into a broader smoking ban.
The House General Laws committee approved the bill on a voice vote, sending it to the full House.
Griffith, R-Salem, said his bill will create pressure for restaurants to ban smoking and allow customers to easily determine what establishments offer smoke-free dining.
"I believe that within a period of two years, the majority of restaurants will go smoke-free," said Griffith, the House majority leader. "A lot of them are right on the edge right now, and having to put a sign up on the door saying, 'This is a smoking facility' I think will put them over the edge."
The bill would eliminate a requirement that restaurants have nonsmoking areas, a change that Griffith said could create additional pressure on restaurants to go smoke-free.
Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax County, proposed reinstating the nonsmoking area requirement, but committee members rejected his amendment.
Griffith said many nonsmoking areas offer customers no protection from secondhand smoke anyway.
"You may be three inches away from a smoking section and not have any protection," Griffith said.
Griffith's bill goes to the House floor as the Senate waits to take up a far-reaching smoking ban proposed by Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County.
Bell's Senate Bill 1161 would ban smoking in most indoor public places, including restaurants and bars.
A coalition of health care groups that includes the American Lung Association of Virginia is supporting Bell's bill.
Terry Hargrove, the director of community relations for the association, told the House committee that Griffith's bill would not satisfy the goal of protecting workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
But a House subcommittee already has defeated House-sponsored measures similar to Bell's.
Griffith's bill was the only anti-smoking measure to reach the full House General Laws Committee.
Griffith said his bill strikes a balance between encouraging smoke-free environments and protecting property rights.
"It's a modest bill -- some would say too modest -- but I believe most of my constituents would support it," Griffith said.
Tom Lisk, a lobbyist for the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, said the group prefers Griffith's bill to an outright ban on smoking in restaurants.
But Lisk suggested that lawmakers should apply the same smoking policy that they impose on restaurants to other public places.
Del. Jack Reid, R-Henrico County, said Griffith's bill would benefit people who want to stay out of establishments that allow any smoking.
"The reason I like this bill was because it was going to state straight up that there was smoking going on in there," said Reid, the committee chairman.
