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Bill banning smoking at restaurants 'gutted'

Publication Date: 2007-05-16
  • Author:John Rodgers
  • Publication:Nashville (TN) City Paper

A Senate panel “gutted� a bill banning smoking at restaurants Tuesday, changing it to only prohibit smoking at government buildings in Tennessee.

But the bill is still alive, and is now headed to the Senate floor, where Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), the sponsor of the bill, hopes it can be changed back to its original form to include banning smoking at restaurants...

In an effort to cut down on exposure to secondhand smoke, Tracy was sponsoring a bill to prohibit smoking at restaurants, but continue to allow smoking in bars, small businesses, farmers and tobacco shops.

“It's about health, it’s about common sense,� Tracy told the Commerce Committee. “And this is just a common sense approach.�

But the Senate Commerce Committee voted 6-0 with three abstentions to strip the bill so it would only prohibit smoking at state or local government-owned, leased or operated buildings.

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