House clerk disputes smoking complaint

Missouri House Chief Clerk Adam Crumbliss last week told a Fenton woman the House staff is ready to help her visit the Capitol, even though the representatives voted this year to continue allowing smoking in lawmakers' offices.

Rossie Judd last month complained to Keith Sappington, House operations director, that allowing smoking in state lawmakers' offices violates the federal Americans With Disabilities Act.

"The House ... is discriminating against the breathing disabled (and) failed to conduct a self-evaluation as required by" a federal regulation, she wrote in the Jan. 24 complaint.