Marlboro Cigarettes Online | Marlboro Cigarettes | Marlboro Cigarettes Shop

An action by a Senate committee on Thursday gave new traction to a bill that would ban smoking in most of the state’s public places.
The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee replaced the language in House Bill 2221 with language from Senate Bill 25, a statewide smoking ban.
The move was in response to a House committee’s vote Wednesday to table SB 25, effectively killing it for the session.
HB 2221, as originally written, would have allowed state health officials to make public the names and addresses of child care providers. It passed the House, 125-0.
SB 25 passed the Senate 26-13. It would allow smoking in a handful of public places, including tobacco shops, private clubs, casinos and 20 percent of hotel rooms. Certain areas of adult care homes would be exempt. The bill also contains provisions aimed at making sure cigarette machines and self-service displays of tobacco products are behind counters or otherwise kept away from the general public.

After approval in the Senate, it was referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee. But after more than three days of hearings on the issue, the House committee took less than five minutes Wednesday to table the bill.

“This gives the bill another breath of life,” said Sen. Jim Barnett, an Emporia Republican who chairs the Senate health committee.

The committee voted quickly on the “gut-and-go” amendment at the end of its last meeting of the year, approving the measure on a voice vote. Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook, R-Shawnee, voted no.

Barnett said he had spoken to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which had requested the child care bill, and they were not opposed to the switch.

“To us, this is germane because child care was in our bill too,” said Sen. David Wysong, R-Mission Hills, a leading supporter of SB 25.
Wysong said the full Senate would vote on the new version of HB 2221. If approved, it would then be considered in a conference committee of House and Senate negotiators.

-Sarah Green is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. She can be reached at sgreen@khi.org or at 785-233-5443, ext. 118.