Tobacco.org

Smoking ban eased  

A plan to roll back part of a voter-approved smoking ban and exempt tobacco trade conventions from the prohibition became law on Tuesday without Gov. Jim Gibbons' signature.

When Gibbons sent AB309 to the secretary of state's office, making it part of Nevada law even though he didn't sign the measure, it completed his review of about 530 bills sent to him by lawmakers. While most were signed, he vetoed 48 of the bills and was overridden 25 times by lawmakers.

The tobacco trade show exemption had been amended into AB309, which deals with the crime of stalking, and was approved a week ago on the final day of the 2009 legislative session.

The original bill, SB372, would have softened the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, passed by voters in 2006, by fine-tuning just where smoking should be prohibited. Lobbyists wanted to allow smoking in bars that serve food as long as minors are restricted from entry, but that bill died in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Jump to full article »