A House committee has tabled a bill that would ban smoking statewide, and the bill likely won’t be taken up again this session.
The House Health and Human Services Committee voted Wednesday to table the bill until the committee receives more information. Friday is the last day for committees to meet this year.
Emporia Rep. Don Hill said the chairman of the committee, Rep. Brenda Landwehr, opposed the measure and was able to gather enough votes to set the bill aside instead of working it.
The bill would ban smoking in most public places, including bars and restaurants.
“I do know there were members of the committee who were prepared to address some of the issues that the opponents expressed,” Hill said, “principally, some of the exemptions. For example, casinos were exempt in this legislation.”
Hill believes that, had the bill reached the House floor, it would have passed by a slim margin, but there were more members on the committee who wanted the bill set aside.
“It’s my sense that there’s probably enough support in the full House of Representatives to pass the measure, but I don’t think it would be an overwhelming majority,” Hill said, citing the bill’s controversial nature.
Hill thinks the smoking ban is good health policy.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t have an opportunity to move forward with this,” he said. “I feel very strongly that it will only be a matter of time before we will have a statewide smoking ban, and the sooner it happens, as far as I’m concerned, the better.”
The Senate earlier voted 26-13 to pass the bill.