Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Flame not out on restaurant smoking ban
Gov. Kaine said he will support another try to restrict smoking inside Virginia's restaurants.
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RICHMOND -- Gov. Tim Kaine will make another attempt to win support for a ban on smoking in restaurants, despite previous efforts by the House of Delegates to smother such proposals.
Kaine said Tuesday he will support an identical version of legislation that passed the Senate last year before getting derailed in a House subcommittee. The House has defeated various versions of indoor smoking bans in each of the past three legislative sessions.
"This is an issue where I know the time is going to come for this," Kaine said in an interview. "Can I tell you that it's 2009? I can't tell you that it's 2009. But I can tell you that the public is ready for it."
Kaine's proposal would prohibit smoking in all restaurants in Virginia, including dining establishments in public and private clubs. Exterior dining areas would be exempt from the ban. Kaine is pushing for the legislation at the same time he is seeking to double the state's cigarette tax to 60 cents per pack.
Supporters of restaurant smoking restrictions argue that legislation is needed to protect patrons and workers from the effects of secondhand smoke. They point to surveys showing broad public support for such proposals. Kaine's administration said the Virginia Department of Health estimates that secondhand smoke is responsible for 1,700 deaths a year.
Kaine formally announced his support for the legislation at a smoke-free restaurant in Arlington, calling the proposal "necessary and reasonable."
Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk, will sponsor the legislation in the Senate, which passed an identical bill last year. Del. David Englin, D-Alexandria, is carrying the bill in the House of Delegates.
Other bills expected to be introduced during the upcoming legislative session would allow localities or regions to impose smoking restrictions in restaurants and bars.
Kaine said having a variety of proposals introduced could increase the chances for getting a bill through the assembly this winter, the final session of his four-year term.
"There's going to be some very productive discussion about this topic again this year," Kaine said.
A coalition of anti-smoking organizations continues to push for a smoking ban that would apply to all indoor public places. But Cathleen Smith Grzesiek, the state director of public advocacy for the American Heart Association, said Kaine's proposal would be "a good first step" toward protecting the public from secondhand smoke.
Tom Lisk, a lobbyist for the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, questioned the need for the legislation, noting that two-thirds of the state's restaurants already have gone smoke-free.
"We think employees and patrons have a broad range of choices," without a government mandate, Lisk said. He said restaurants should not be singled out if smoking is considered a public health issue.
The Senate has passed bills in recent years to restrict smoking in public places, but they were killed in a House subcommittee. The measures included a bill that would ban smoking in restaurants and bars and another that would allow localities to pass ordinances regulating smoking. Those bills were defeated in a subcommittee of the House General Laws Committee.
But new House rules that take effect this year will require subcommittee votes to be recorded. The General Laws Committee also will have a new chairman, Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk.
Kaine said his conversations with legislators give him hope that his proposal may get more traction this year.
"I could also tell from talking to the legislature that the legislature is more open to this," he said.
