Progress, maybe? Though I find it disgusting Ryan Deckart - a Dem - uses his position to exempt his friends from law... no shame.
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Panel passes smoking ban
By David Steves
The Register-Guard
Published: Tuesday, May 8, 2007
SALEM - A once-stalled ban on smoking in bars and taverns got new life Monday, when a legislative panel passed the bill and set up a Senate vote as early as next week.
The vote came after a few tweaks - exemptions for cigar bars and the state's biggest horse-racing track and a start-up delay - were made to satisfy key lobbyists and lawmakers.
Senate Bill 571 would expand the statewide smoking ban to include bars, taverns, bowling alleys and bingo halls among the workplaces where smoking is not permitted. Eugene already bans smoking in such venues, as do Corvallis and a few other locales in Oregon.
Despite Democratic majorities expected to pass such a statewide ban in both legislative chambers, the bill's pathway to the full Senate has had a few bumpy patches. It was held up for nearly three weeks after lawmakers learned from staff analysts that the projected drop in smoking - and resulting fall-off of drinking and gambling at state-owned video lottery machines - would curb state revenues by about $53 million in 2007-09.
That problem was taken care of, said sponsor Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, by delaying the start of the proposed ban until 2009.
In addition, the bill faced both general resistance from the tobacco, bar and tavern lobbies and specific objections by certain sectors. Cigar bars were opposed, and had the sympathies of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee's chairman, Sen. Ryan Deckert, who is an aficionado. An amendment added Monday allows patrons to continue lighting up their stogies in cigar bars, as long as the business sells at least $5,000 a year worth of cigars and meets other standards.
Burdick understood that that amendment was important enough to Deckert to be added but voted against it.
But she balked at a second exemption, which will allow continued smoking at the Portland Meadows horse track. Lobbyists Larry Campbell and Dave Nelson had argued that a smoking ban would put their client at a disadvantage in competing against tribal casinos, which wouldn't be subject to the prohibition.
In protest, Burdick refused to vote the final bill out of committee - which meant the Democrats wouldn't have the votes necessary to pass it. To remedy this, Senate President Peter Courtney temporarily assigned himself to the committee as Burdick's replacement. He and the two other Democrats then passed the bill over the two Republicans' "no" votes.
Backers of the bill said the dangers of secondhand smoke are too grave to allow even a small fraction of Oregon employers to force their workers to toil in the midst of smoke that can cause heart disease, emphysema, cancer and other ailments. About 35,000 people are employed in Oregon bars, taverns and other workplaces where smoking currently is allowed.
Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro, said the bill went too far. It's one thing to ban smoking in restaurants and other venues frequented by minors, but adults - workers and patrons - should have the freedom to choose whether to work in or patronize a smoke-free business or one where smoking is allowed. He said many bars and restaurant lounges are responding to public demands by banning smoking without the government's dictates.
"The marketplace works," Starr said.
Sen. Rod Monroe, D-Portland, disputed the notion that tavern workers can simply quit their jobs and find new ones in smoke-free workplaces.
"The marketplace works for customers. The marketplace does not work for employees," he said.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Panel passes smoking ban
By David Steves
The Register-Guard
Published: Tuesday, May 8, 2007
SALEM - A once-stalled ban on smoking in bars and taverns got new life Monday, when a legislative panel passed the bill and set up a Senate vote as early as next week.
The vote came after a few tweaks - exemptions for cigar bars and the state's biggest horse-racing track and a start-up delay - were made to satisfy key lobbyists and lawmakers.
Senate Bill 571 would expand the statewide smoking ban to include bars, taverns, bowling alleys and bingo halls among the workplaces where smoking is not permitted. Eugene already bans smoking in such venues, as do Corvallis and a few other locales in Oregon.
Despite Democratic majorities expected to pass such a statewide ban in both legislative chambers, the bill's pathway to the full Senate has had a few bumpy patches. It was held up for nearly three weeks after lawmakers learned from staff analysts that the projected drop in smoking - and resulting fall-off of drinking and gambling at state-owned video lottery machines - would curb state revenues by about $53 million in 2007-09.
That problem was taken care of, said sponsor Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, by delaying the start of the proposed ban until 2009.
In addition, the bill faced both general resistance from the tobacco, bar and tavern lobbies and specific objections by certain sectors. Cigar bars were opposed, and had the sympathies of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee's chairman, Sen. Ryan Deckert, who is an aficionado. An amendment added Monday allows patrons to continue lighting up their stogies in cigar bars, as long as the business sells at least $5,000 a year worth of cigars and meets other standards.
Burdick understood that that amendment was important enough to Deckert to be added but voted against it.
But she balked at a second exemption, which will allow continued smoking at the Portland Meadows horse track. Lobbyists Larry Campbell and Dave Nelson had argued that a smoking ban would put their client at a disadvantage in competing against tribal casinos, which wouldn't be subject to the prohibition.
In protest, Burdick refused to vote the final bill out of committee - which meant the Democrats wouldn't have the votes necessary to pass it. To remedy this, Senate President Peter Courtney temporarily assigned himself to the committee as Burdick's replacement. He and the two other Democrats then passed the bill over the two Republicans' "no" votes.
Backers of the bill said the dangers of secondhand smoke are too grave to allow even a small fraction of Oregon employers to force their workers to toil in the midst of smoke that can cause heart disease, emphysema, cancer and other ailments. About 35,000 people are employed in Oregon bars, taverns and other workplaces where smoking currently is allowed.
Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro, said the bill went too far. It's one thing to ban smoking in restaurants and other venues frequented by minors, but adults - workers and patrons - should have the freedom to choose whether to work in or patronize a smoke-free business or one where smoking is allowed. He said many bars and restaurant lounges are responding to public demands by banning smoking without the government's dictates.
"The marketplace works," Starr said.
Sen. Rod Monroe, D-Portland, disputed the notion that tavern workers can simply quit their jobs and find new ones in smoke-free workplaces.
"The marketplace works for customers. The marketplace does not work for employees," he said.
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