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Bill lets towns decide on restaurant smoking  

Local governments in Michigan should be able to prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars since a proposed statewide ban remains stalled in the Legislature, a lawmaker says.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Gary McDowell, D-Rudyard, would let each county, city, township and village decide if people can smoke in local bars and restaurants. Courts have said Michigan law allows only the Legislature to ban smoking in food establishments.

McDowell said that should be changed because he does not think lawmakers will pass a ban on their own.

"It'll bring the debate back home, to every township and city hall," McDowell said in an interview. "Once one community does it, it'll start to spread across the state. It's hard to imagine which community in Michigan would want the notoriety of being the last to allow smoking in the workplace."

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