Proposed smoking ban may fire up debate
HARRISBURG – An indoor ban on smoking in all public places is expected to light up in the House in early June, and the sponsor says she’s not just blowing smoke over its chance of success. The idea of banning indoor smoking in public places has been slowly gathering momentum in Pennsylvania. Sixteen other states – including neighboring New York, New Jersey, and Delaware – have smoke-free laws. Philadelphia City Council has been debating a ban and the city of Harrisburg nearly had one until the mayor vetoed it.
The issue blipped this week in the Lynn Swann gubernatorial campaign, when the Republican candidate said he parted ways with his running mate, Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews, in not supporting a ban.
Indeed, the issue has always been controversial. Montgomery County Sen. Stewart Greenleaf has introduced bills banning smoking for years but all have stalled in committee.
Now it’s another Montgomery County lawmaker, Rep. Sue Cornell, picking up the ball. If her bill passes out of the House Health and Human Services Committee in an expected vote on June 6, it will be the first time ever a smoking ban has reached a Pennsylvania legislative chamber for a full vote.
“A lot of people view it (smoking) as a freedom of choice,” said Cornell at a committee hearing Tuesday. “It’s not a matter of smoking being annoying to people, it’s a health issue.”
Cornell plans to toughen up her original bill by amending it to also disallow separate, ventilated smoking sections in restaurants, bars and the like.
Many small business owners worried they wouldn’t be able to compete with larger establishments that have the resources and space to set up smoking sections.
“Rather than put someone at a disadvantage, if you’re going to do it, let’s do it for everyone,” said Rep. Beverly Mackereth, a York Republican.
Some still worried an outright ban is too inflexible. Philadelphia Rep. Kathy Manderino, a Democrat, said she’ll offer an amendment that allows businesses to go through a health and safety permitting process so they could become designated smoking establishments.
There are a few exceptions under Cornell’s bill. Smoking would be allowed in tobacco warehouses and tobacco shops, provided the shops are not located in a mall or close to other stores where smoke travels. People at private social functions also could light up.
Penalties for violating the ban would initially be $100 and go up to $500 for repeat offenders.
The bill faces a likely uphill battle in the Senate, but if it ever reaches the governor’s desk, it will have a sympathetic eye.
“He’d look carefully at it and favorably,” said Gov. Ed Rendell’s press spokesman Chuck Ardo.
For Cornell, passing a smoking ban would be her largest legislative accomplishment in her two years of public office. Voters ousted her in last week’s primary.
“I think from the members of the committee I spoke to, it will pass out,” she said. “If we can get it to the floor it will have a possibility of passing.”
Alison Hawkes can be reached at 717-705-6330 or ahawkes@calkins-media.com.