Posted by Jan Murphy/The Patriot-News July 16, 2007 23:19PM
Categories: Breaking News, Midstate, Politics, State government
The state House made it clear last night that it wants a mostly smoke-free Pennsylvania.
Minutes later, the Senate rejected the House version of a statewide indoor smoking ban, sending it to a House-Senate conference committee to hash out the differences.
Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, said that action could delay the implementation of a smoking ban for months.
By a 141-62 vote, the House approved a ban that would order most indoor public places, including casinos, restaurants and taverns, to go smoke-free 90 days after the bill becomes law.
The House bill would exempt from the ban private homes, private clubs such as American Legions and sportsmen's clubs, tobacco-related businesses and a quarter of the rooms in hotels. It also would allow smoking in private residences within nursing homes or assisted living facilities and at cigar exhibitions.
Municipalities could enact stricter smoking bans. And the bill ordered county health departments or, in absence of one of those, another county department to serve as the smoking police.
The Senate rejected this version of the ban by a 13-36 vote
www.pennlive.com
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