Casino smoke bill moves to House

Publication Date: 2005-02-19

• Author:JOHN HARRINGTON
• Publication:Helena (MT) Independent Record

Montana's casino owners moved a step closer toward seeing their businesses shielded from local smoking laws Friday, while a competing bill that would enact a statewide smoking ban in all buildings open to the public got hung up in committee.

Friday morning, the House Business and Labor Committee approved a bill by Rep. Bob Bergren, D-Havre, that would essentially accomplish what the Legislature tried to do two years ago: keep casinos from being regulated by local smoking ordinances.