Otter vetoes bowling alley smoking ban

Publication Date: 2007-03-22

• Author:Betsy Z. Russell
• Publication:The Spokesman-Review

Gov. Butch Otter has vetoed the bill to ban smoking in Idaho bowling alleys, which earlier passed both houses of the Idaho Legislature, calling it an "unreasonable burden on private property rights." ...

Idaho three years ago banned smoking in restaurants and most other public places where children under age 21 are allowed; only bowling alleys were left out. Student bowlers from throughout southern Idaho came to the Legislature this year to testify in favor of the bill, saying they shouldn’t have to endure a smoky environment to bowl.

Lawmakers and the governor have been sparring over his veto of the bill the Legislature passed to increase the grocery tax credit. The governor said the Legislature’s version of that bill was too expensive and didn’t target the tax break to the low-income, as he’d proposed. Lawmakers instead approved an across-the-board credit for all Idahoans, to partially make up for the sales tax they pay on groceries...