Statewide smoking ban gets first favorable vote in Legislature

Publication Date: 2008-01-08

• Author:AP
• Publication:Fond du Lac Reporter

Wisconsin's bars and restaurants would have a year longer to get used to a statewide smoking ban under a bill that passed a legislative committee Tuesday.

The proposal would make all work places smoke-free starting next year. But bars and restaurants would have until 2010 to comply.

The later date was offered as a compromise designed to help bring in opponents of the measure.

But it was unclear whether the deal would be enough to win over the bill's opponents or keep the support of Gov. Jim Doyle, who wanted the ban to take effect without a delay in bars and restaurants.