Amended smoking ban faces hard road

Publication Date: 2005-02-06

• Author:Britt Johnsen
• Publication:Winona (MN) Daily News

Courtesy of an amendment Abeler recommended, a House committee last week passed a bill that significantly reduces regulations of the original bill.

Originally, the proposed bill would have banned smoking in all restaurants and bars, as well as other public places like employment and transportation facilities. But the amendment to the bill accepts only the ban on restaurants, and allows smoking in bars that make less than 50 percent of profits from food.