Ban brings some disappointments for lawmakers
By KEN BLACK, TIMES-REPUBLICAN
POSTED: April 9, 2008
The Iowa House passed yet another version of the smoking ban legislation Tuesday, but unlike during previous attempts, the Iowa Senate followed suit.
The bill now goes to Gov. Chet Culver to sign — something he has said he is likely to do.
And while at least one local legislator voted in favor of the proposal, he is still not satisfied that it went far enough.
“It excludes the casino floors which is disappointing to me but does have in an allowance for the smoking rooms at the Iowa Veterans Home,” said Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown.
The vote in the House was close, but in the end it was approved 52 to 48, with some cross-over voting in both parties. While a majority of Democrats voted for it and a majority of Republicans voted against it in the House, it was not an issue that was divided sharply by party lines.
Still, some Republicans said they had problems with the bill, especially its wording regarding farmers.
Sen. Larry McKibben, R-Marshalltown, believes the bill will actually cause health problems — in a roundabout way.
McKibben cited studies that he believes point to out that smokers may begin drinking in a bar, then drive to a casino to enjoy some more fellowship with friends while being allowed to smoke indoors. At the very least, McKibben believes it could put more intoxicated drivers on the road.
“We will have more accidents and more fatalities on Highway 30,” he said. “And families with children will be involved.”
However, even if the smoking ban applied to state casinos, it would not affect the casino nearest to Marshalltown, the Meskwaki Casino, as it is run by a Native American tribe and therefore not subject to the smoking ban.
McKibben also said it is hypocritical of the Legislature to exempt casinos and believes one of the only reasons legislators did so was to make sure dollars keep flowing into the state’s treasury.
Despite the flaws, Smith believes the bill has some obvious benefits for Iowa’s working population.
“It is going to allow for more than 99 percent of Iowa’s workforce to be able to work their shift in a smoke-free environment,” he said.
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Contact Ken Black at 641-753-6611 or kblack@timesrepublican.com
