Mo. House panel rejects office smoking ban

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A proposal to ban smoking in the Capitol offices of Missouri House members has been snuffed out by a committee.

The House Rules Committee rejected the office smoking ban Tuesday on an 8-4 vote, with all Republicans against it and all Democrats for it.

House rules already prohibit smoking in the hallways and the chamber while lawmakers are in session. But legislators can allow smoking in their own offices.

House Democrats recently adopted a policy that all of their offices would be smoke-free. On Tuesday, Democrats tried to apply that to everyone by inserting it into the official House Rules.

Rules Committee Chairwoman Jeanie Riddle, a Republican from Mokane, said House members often work long, irregular hours and should be free to decide their own office policies.

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herekitty 4 months, 1 week ago

Good, I'm a non-smoker. And I believe that any public buildings that where built or maintened with smoker tax should be open to smokers OR refund the tax money they've receiver.

connor 4 months, 1 week ago

Typical Lib Democrat agenda... Force everyone to follow "their" rules. Glad we have enough Republicans in Missouri to stop em. Let's hope the Republicans in the House show as much backbone.

Typical Republican agenda "Laws for thee, none for me". I do believe the city decided all public places to be Smoke Free, did it not? So, that would have to mean their offices were private property, and taxable as such.

linoge 4 months, 1 week ago

It's hard to look like a person who is capable of making intelligent decisions when you have a burning cigarette in your mouth. You may be a taxpaying citizen, you may have civil rights galore which need defending, you may even have excuses for your aberrant behavior which actually make sense to you, but you do not look like someone who is capable of making intelligent decisions for yourself or for anyone else. What you mostly look like is a punk kid who needs to grow up.

Paroquet 4 months, 1 week ago

No smoker does so for their own health; many smoke to keep from choking the living daylights from someone who needs it desperately. Kindly remember that for your continued well-being. You really don't want smokers making sound judgements doped to the gills on pharmaceuticals for want of slapping someone who earned it.

Just sayin'.

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