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Michigan House passes indoor smoking ban that exempts cigar bars, tobacco shops and Detroit casinos, but passage in Senate is uncertain  

A House-authored indoor smoking ban like the one approved last year now heads to the Senate, still absent an agreement between the two chambers that doomed the effort in 2008.

The proposed ban that would apply to nearly all indoor workplaces in Michigan, including bars and restaurants, easily passed Tuesday, 73-31, after attempts to weaken or strengthen it were defeated.

Cigar bars, tobacco specialty shops and the gaming floors of Detroit's three commercial casinos would be the lone exceptions in a bill that would make Michigan the 37th state to enact broad prohibitions on workplace smoking.

"It was the best we could get, which is a lot better than what we have now," said Rep. Richard Ball, R-Laingsburg.

Last year, however, the Senate stripped out those exemptions. The bill died months later when House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford, declined to schedule a post-election vote that smoking opponents were confident they would have won.

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