Bill giving Oklahoma cities power to ban smoking wins House panel approval

Publication Date: 2011-02-16

• Author:Michael Mcnutt
• Publication:NewsOK.com

Local governments in Oklahoma would have the power to ban smoking in public places under a bill passed Tuesday by a House of Representatives committee.

House Bill 2135 would repeal state laws preventing cities and towns from enacting tobacco use restrictions stricter than the state’s.

House Speaker Kris Steele, the bill’s author, said Oklahoma is one of only two states with so-called pre-emption laws. Tennessee is the other.

Steele, R-Shawnee, met opposition for his proposal that would allow cities, for example, to decide whether to ban smoking in public places, such as bars. It also would give local governments the ability to use local law enforcement to check on tobacco violations. ...