New tactic on proposed Kan. smoking ban

Publication Date: 2009-01-20

• Author:CARL MANNING
• Publication:Fort Mill Times

Proponents of a statewide smoking ban have come up with a new selling point for legislators trying to close a massive budget deficit: A ban would save the state money.

Legislation banning smoking has been considered in past years but has never gone very far. Businesses complain that prohibiting smoking in nearly all public places goes too far, and when proponents of a ban have tried to make concessions, they've lost the support of health advocates...

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee plans hearings next week on a bill that would impose a statewide ban with few exceptions. The chairman is Republican Jim Barnett, an Emporia physician, who supports the ban.

Wysong said the measure would allow local ordinances to take precedent if they were stronger than the state law.