House investigating smoking complaint

Clerk: "Appropriate legal channels' being consulted regarding smoking in Capitol offices

Allowing smoking in state lawmakers' offices violates the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, an eastern Missouri woman argues in a complaint filed this week.

A four-point complaint was filed Monday with Keith Sappington, the state House of Representatives' operations director.

"I am being denied meaningful access to the House of Representatives as a result of its policy that allows members to smoke in their offices," said Rossie Judd, Fenton, in her complaint. "The House ... is discriminating against the breathing disabled (and) failed to conduct a self-evaluation as required by" a federal regulation.