State Status
No Preemption
Quote
"We could never win at the local level... So the Tobacco Institute and tobacco companies' first priority has always been to preempt the field, preferably to put it all on a federal level, but if they can't do that, at least on the state level."
Victor L. CrawfordTexas
Communities throughout Texas are deciding it's not acceptable to smoke in ways that harm other people. Cities with strong smokefree protections for all workplaces, restaurants and bars include Austin, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, Abilene, Copperas Cove, Woodway, and Round Rock. See ANR's list for more details about the more than 40 Texas communities that have enacted 100% smokefree laws.
For more information about smokefree air efforts in Texas, visit Smokefree Texas.
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The Texas Restaurant Association and Texas Licensed Beverage Association have long-standing financial and lobbying ties to Philip Morris, so it's no surprise those groups oppose smokefree workplace protections.
Texas law does not preempt the passage of local smokefree laws. Read more about current tobacco-related legislation in Texas.
Current tobacco-related statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control's Tobacco Control State Highlights, 2010.
Texas does not have a 2018 Legislative Session
Legislative SummariesArchives
Action AlertsArchives
News SummariesArchives
- 7/31/2019States Are Thwarting Cities' Attempts to Govern Themselves
- 4/29/2019In Washington, Juul Vows to Curb Youth Vaping. Its Lobbying in States Runs Counter to That Pledge.
- 10/13/2017State lawmakers choose winners and losers through preemption
- 7/6/2017Blue Cities Want to Make Their Own Rules. Red States Won't Let Them.
- 5/10/2017The Threat of Super-Preemption
- 3/6/2017Preemption Prevents Innovation
- 2/21/2017City Rights in an Era of Preemption: A State-by-State Analysis
- 2/2/2017Red State, Blue City
- 1/5/2017GOP aims to rein in liberal cities
- 9/15/2016State, cities set to square off
- 9/9/2016How ALEC, ACCE, and Preemption Laws are Gutting the Powers of American Cities
- 8/22/2016Blue Cities, Red States
- 6/28/2016Colorado Preemptions of Local Government: The Need for the Colorado Community Rights Amendment
- 6/23/2016State and Local Comprehensive Smoke-Free Laws for Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars--United States, 2015
- 4/6/2016From Fracking Bans To Paid Sick Leave: How States Are Overruling Local Laws
- 4/1/2016Growing Southern cities are increasingly targets of state pre-emption
- 3/25/2016Beyond North Carolina's LGBT Battle: States' War on Cities
- 2/4/2016Corporate Interests Take Aim at Local Democracy
- 2/3/2016Report: Texas Needs Stronger Policies To Lower Tobacco Use
- 8/6/2015Blowing the Whistle on ALEC's Little Brother ACCE
- 7/7/2015Four Ways ALEC Tried to Ruin Your State this Year
- 5/17/2015Say no: States increasingly blocking cities and counties from imposing mandates on businesses
- 5/8/2015State lawmakers hate federal meddling even as they preempt local government
- 4/30/2015The Height of Hypocrisy: Cities vs State
- 3/30/2015The ALEC-Backed War on Local Democracy
- 3/11/2015Texas-Sized Battle Over Local Control
- 3/2/2015Bill places city's home rule, ordinances at risk
- 2/23/2015Govern Yourselves, State Lawmakers Tell Cities, but Not Too Much
- 12/19/2014Texas Once Again to Consider a Statewide Smoking Ban
- 6/5/2013No luck this session for Texas smoke-free workplace advocates
- 3/29/2013Majority of Texans back smoke-free workplace bill, polls says
- 3/8/2013Proponents of a statewide smoking ban try, try again
- 1/19/2013Blog: Representative Crownover on her smoke-free workplace bill
- 1/12/2013Support reignited for statewide smoking ban in Texas
- 7/5/2011Legislature again flicks away smoking ban
- 6/20/2011Statewide smoking ban is revived in special session
- 6/5/2011Texas House attempts new public smoking ban
- 6/3/2011Smoke free bill to be heard in House committee Saturday
- 6/2/2011Smoking ban to be resuscitated
- 5/28/2011Statewide smoking ban dies - again - for another session
- 5/24/2011Smoking ban: Proposal in Legislature is tied to spending bill
- 5/17/2011Texas may get indoor smoking ban
- 5/12/2011Smoking ban to be an amendment on another bill later on
- 5/11/2011Despite wide support, bid to ban smoking is flagging
- 4/26/2011Smoking ban advocates try to win over lawmakers
- 4/22/2011Could Texas soon be smoke-free?
- 4/15/2011It's time for Texas to outlaw smoking in public places
- 3/14/2011Bill banning smoking in public places closer to becoming law
- 3/9/2011Statement on Passage of Smoke-Free Workplace Bill Out of House Public Health Committee
- 3/8/2011Statewide smoking ban talk heats up in Texas
- 3/3/2011Testimony on Positive Impact of Smoke-Free Workplace Legislation Given in Two Days of Committee Hearings
- 3/2/2011Texas house talks about workplace smoking ban
- 2/16/2011Time for statewide ban on smoking in public places
- 2/1/201170 Percent of Texas Voters Support Law Making Bars, Restaurants and Other Workplaces Smoke Free
- 1/18/2011Houston lawmaker pushes for state-wide smoking ban
- 9/8/2010Statewide smoking ban being prepped for next legislative session
- 4/23/2010Texas, other states, should increase anti-smoking campaigns, CDC chief says
- 2/5/2010State Preemption of Local Smoke-Free Laws in Government Work Sites, Private Work Sites, and Restaurants United States, 2005-2009
- 5/23/2009Smoke isn’t clearing as Legislature nears end
- 5/20/2009Statewide smoking ban is dead, bill authors say
- 5/6/2009Smoking ban bill being blocked from Senate vote
- 4/16/2009EDITORIAL: Smoking ban: Texas should follow El Paso
- 4/14/2009Lawmakers to hear testimony on statewide smoking ban
- 2/22/2009Smoking ban gains new support in Texas
- 1/8/2009Smoking ban bill receives new life
- 1/7/2009Houston senator to propose statewide smoking ban
- 12/25/2008Lawmakers say Texas needs statewide smoking ban
- 5/6/2008Association honors Crownover for anti-smoking bill
Press ReleasesArchives
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