SB77: A Senate committee endorses, by a 4-1 vote, legislation that would ban lighting up in taverns and private clubs by next June
Lawmakers are one step closer to barring smoking in bars.
A Senate committee endorsed legislation on Friday that would ban lighting up in private clubs and taverns as soon as June. Attempts to amend Senate Bill 77 to apply the ban only to fine-dining clubs failed. So did a proposal to bar smoking in all buildings, including those at Salt Lake City International Airport.
Despite a 4-1 vote to pass the bill, supporters of the smoking ban said other hurdles lie ahead.
“This is not a slam dunk by any stretch,” said lobbyist Dave Spatafore, who is pushing the ban, along with restaurant owner Tom Guinney. “It’s much easier to kill a bill than pass one.”
Opponents hope the bill will be killed.
“It should be a matter of choice – period,” said Bob Brown, owner of the downtown bar, Cheers To You. “Twelve percent of Utahns smoke. They need a place to go.”
Utah law now allows bars to choose whether to ban smoking, and some clubs tout themselves?? as smoke-free. Most of the state’s 245 private clubs, though, allow smoking.
Brown argued to the committee that those entering bars know they are entering a place where people smoke. He added that almost all his bar employees smoke and didn’t want a ban.
But Sen. Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, the sponsor of the bill, said that isn’t representative of the employees and patrons he has heard from. He worries the employees are forced to inhale smoke and can’t leave the jobs because they pay? so well.
“That’s really where I’m coming from. I’m concerned about the employees,” Waddoups said.
Sen. Ron Allen, D-Stansbury Park, unsuccessfully tried to amend the bill in two ways; one would only ban smoking in fine-dining establishments while leaving private clubs alone. The other would have been a complete ban that took away exemptions for fraternal and social organizations, such as the Elks Lodge.
Allen, who ended up voting for the bill, said he wanted to preserve?? a spot for smokers, but didn’t want some places to face a ban while others were left alone. “At least they [the patrons] know they’re going to a place where they know smoking is,” he said.
SB77 now heads to the full Senate. If passed by the Legislature, Utah would join seven other states and many cites in stubbing out smoking in bars.
Originally written By Thomas Burr
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
