Statewide smoking ban emerges in House

Publication Date: 2008-02-13

• Author:Terry Woster
• Publication:Sioux Falls Argus Leader, SD

A previously defeated bill to give cities the option to ban smoking re-emerged Tuesday in a House committee as a statewide smoking ban.

The bill passed the House State Affairs Committee on an 8-4 vote.

Rep. Joni Cutler, R-Sioux Falls, pulled a dead bill off the table and turned it into the smoking ban. The bill she used would have allowed local governments to make their own tobacco regulations.

"When we debated that bill earlier in session, several people said they might support a statewide ban but not a bill that let each city or county make its own tobacco regulations," Cutler said. "We're going to get a chance to talk about that on the House floor now."

Smoking is banned in most public places, although state law allows it in motel sleeping rooms, video lottery casinos, bars and smoke shops.

The proposed change would exempt only smoke shops from the general ban on smoking in public. Private residences wouldn't be included unless they had day care business.