Smoking ban likely to stay in place

Publication Date: 2011-01-27

• Author:WRN Contributor
• Publication:Wisconsin Radio Network

There's not much interest by the new Republican majority in the Legislature to revisit Wisconsin's smoking ban, says Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. He says lawmakers seem to want to "move past" what was a very divisive issue.

Although Fitzgerald believed it was wrong for a private business to be told what to do regarding a legal product like tobacco.

"I made that argument for a number of years but obviously the mood kind of changed throughout the years on that issue and it passed last session."

Governor Walker has also signaled that he's not interested in renewing debate on smoking and the Tavern League isn't pushing for any action on the issue.

A report from the UW this week cites evidence that the ban has not been an economic burden for bars and restaurants.