Smoke ban bill gets split vote

Publication Date: 2013-03-08

• Author:LLOYD DUNKELBERGER
• Publication:Tallahassee Herald-Tribune

A bill allowing cities and counties to re-impose smoking bans on public property, including beaches and parks, cleared its second Senate committee on Thursday.

In a 6-3 vote, the Senate Health Policy Committee approved the bill (SB 258) that would let local governments enact the smoking bans on public property, including beaches, parks, playgrounds and other sports and recreational areas. They could also ban smoking at entrances to public indoor workplaces.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, was unanimously approved earlier by the Regulated Industries Committee...

The House is considering a similar measure (HB 439), although it has yet to be heard by a committee.

The ability of local governments to ban smoking has been called into question by a series of legal interpretations that have declared the 2003 Clean Indoor Air Act pre-empted the ability of cities and counties to have their own regulations...