It appears that Louisiana smokers will be able to continue to light ‘em up in bars and casinos – at least for another year – unless something unexpected happens in the Legislature before it adjourns on June 23.
The bill, SB 133, sponsored by state Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Livonia, would have banned smoking in bars that do not serve food, while permitting smoking on outside patios.
His original bill, which banned smoking in bars and casinos and off-track betting facilities, was amended in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee to only include bars.
After the amendment, the bill was approved by the committee on a 4-3 vote.
But the full Senate defeated the measure on a vote of 15-22, killing it for this session. Beer and liquor lobbyists worked with lobbyists for bar owners to defeat the measure.
How did area state senators vote on the bill? State Sen. B.L. “Buddy” Shaw (R) voted for it, while Sens. Robert Adley (R), Sherri Cheek (R), and Lydia Jackson (D) voted against it.
By Lou Gehrig Burnett, Publisher of Fax-Net, an email newsletter based out of North Louisiana
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