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Senator hopes to light up ban
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A bill that would enact a statewide smoking ban in public places — including bars and restaurants — is circulating through the Wisconsin Legislature for co-sponsorship.
State Senate President Fred Risser, D-Madison, said he authored the bill and sent it to legislators for support Monday before formally introducing it to the Senate, tentatively scheduled for March 9.
"I think it has a fair chance," said Risser, who expects to garner bipartisan support from both the Senate and Assembly.
Bob Delaporte, spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, said the office would have to review the tangible draft before offering an opinion.
Risser said his decision to draft the legislation was also supported Monday by a survey that says nearly two-thirds of Wisconsin voters would support a statewide smoking ban in public places.
The survey, conducted by national research group Public Opinion Strategies, says 64 percent of Wisconsin voters favor Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed statewide smoking ban and 34 percent oppose it.
"I agree with the poll," Risser said. "It correctly reflects the views of the [voters]."
Matt Canter, spokesperson for Doyle, said the governor is also pleased to see the results.
However, other officials said they are skeptical of the survey since it was sponsored by smoking-ban supporters, including Smoke Free Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Medical Association and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
"With any survey, people have to consider the source," said Pete Madland, chief executive director of the Wisconsin Tavern League. "When you have a special interest group sponsor a survey … we'll take it with a grain of salt."
Though he agreed that the survey's sponsorship raises some questions, University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin said the research group is "perfectly reasonable," despite its liberal reputation.
"This [survey] bears only a little bit on the legislative decision," Franklin said. "I think legislators, if they were faced with uproarious opposition, would take that more seriously."
The Wisconsin Tavern League has said it would support a statewide smoking ban on all public places except taverns and bars.
According to the State Ethics Board, the Tavern League spent nearly half of its reported $160,000 on a bill in the 2005-06 legislative session that aimed to institute a statewide smoking ban on Wisconsin restaurants and bowling centers. However, the bill was not approved.
The Wisconsin Restaurant Association, usually an opponent of local smoking bans, has said it supports a statewide smoking ban, but only if there are no exemptions.
The survey called 500 registered Wisconsin voters by telephone and asked questions pertaining to the statewide smoking ban and smoking in general.
About 95 percent of respondents considered smoking at least a minor health hazard and 65 percent said their bar and restaurant activities would stay the same if the establishments were smoke-free.
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Why ban smoking everywhere? Maybe they should consider a smoking license, regulated similar to liquor licenses.
Even progressive countries like Holland allow some “smoking” in public places.
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And so we edge closer and closer to a complete nanny/socialist state in which all decisions are made by our legislature. When will people realize that legislating our personal lives will only get worse and worse? Governments never give up power. Smoking is a poor choice but once again if we do not have the freedom to make our own choices even if they are bad what freedom do we have. Smoking bans should be the choice of the owners who pay the taxes on the buildings and properties. Public Places should at least offer areas to smoke if it is feasible. I sincerely worry the future and if any of us will be able to remember what freedoms we willing gave up so foolishly. - Germain E. Stemme
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So we shouldn’t give a darn about people’s health? Bartenders in resturants should be protected but if you work in a “bar” (whatever that is?) you shouldn’t be protected from secondhand smoke? Since when do we not protect people from dangerous cancer causing agents? Just because the tavern league says we shouldn’t and has blanant disregard for their employees we should listen? What garbage. Protect everyone now.