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Jump to full article: The Day (New London, CT), 2009-05-12
Author: Ted Mann Day Staff Writer, Politics
Intro: The legislature's Finance Committee killed through inaction a pair of controversial bills Tuesday afternoon, including a proposal to ban smoking at the state's two tribally owned casinos.
The committee did not take up the smoking ban bill before adjourning around 1:30 p.m. Under legislative rules, bills referred to committee must be acted upon within seven calendar days or three legislative session days. That rule means the smoking ban was effectively killed by the Finance panel's failure to take action today.
The committee's leaders also allowed Republicans to filibuster a proposal that would have decriminalized the possession of less than 0.5 ounces of marijuana, though lawmakers said they expected that proposal to return later this session in the form of an amendment.
The smoking ban - which is vigorously supported by organized labor but opposed by Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods - is dead for this session, and unlikely to return, said Sen. Eileen Daily, D-Westbrook, the co-chairwoman of the committee and an opponent of the bill.
"Aside from any promise of a legal challenge it would be very costly... in terms of lost revenue because of lost business for the casino," Daily said. "So our businesses, all of them, are in enough trouble without our taking action today that would be more costly."
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