State Status
No Preemption
News Summary
Statewide smoking ban stalls, heads back to subcommittee
Publication Date: 2008-03-26
- Author:Tim Smith
- Publication:Greenville (SC) News
A proposal that would have banned smoking in all restaurants and bars stalled this afternoon after the House Judiciary Committee voted to send the bill back to subcommittee for the second time this year.
The 13-2 vote effectively bottles up the legislation until the South Carolina Supreme Court rules on whether state law prohibits cities and counties from passing their own smoke-free ordinances. Rep. Garry Smith of Simpsonville moved to send the bill back to subcommittee arguing the justices needed to rule before lawmakers acted on the issue.