Senate thinks about banning smoking at work, then changes mind

Publication Date: 2007-05-22

• Author:John Rodgers
• Publication:Nashville City Paper, TN

The state Senate thought about snuffing out smoking in all workplaces Monday, but then changed their minds and decided — like smokers trying to quit — to put the issue off until another day.

In a series of votes, the state Senate initially voted 15-12 to ban smoking in all workplaces, a measure called the “Smokefree Tennessee� act that Gov. Phil Bredesen has endorsed...

After the Senate seemed headed toward passing a bill banning smoking in all workplaces, the body did not garner enough votes to kill an amendment to strip all of the language out of the bill and only ban smoking in local government buildings.

Ultimately, after the contradictory actions, the Senate put off action until Thursday on the workplace smoking issues.

Today, the House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to debate both the overall workplace smoking ban and the “compromise� bill that has the exemptions.