Daniels wants few exemptions to Indiana smoking ban

Publication Date: 2012-02-16

• Author:Tom Davies
• Publication:Louisville Courier-Journal

Gov. Mitch Daniels said Wednesday that he hopes legislators will send him a statewide smoking ban bill with a short list of exemptions.

Daniels has been backing the effort to limit smoking in public places and businesses, but he declined to say whether he supported a push by some legislators to continue allowing smoking at bars.

“I’m willing to sign whatever bill the Legislature sends me,” Daniels told reporters at the Statehouse. “I think we probably should keep the exceptions as narrow as possible in the interest of employees.”

A state Senate committee is expected to take action next week on a House-approved bill that gives bars an 18-month exemption to the ban. That proposal would prohibit smoking in nearly all public places and businesses but still allow it at Indiana’s 13 casinos, private clubs, retail tobacco stores, and cigar and hookah bars.

Daniels said he didn’t want to rule anything out since he expected much give and take among legislators on the exemptions...