Posted on 05/03/2006 5:13:08 AM PDT by SheLion
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana restaurant patrons who want an after-dinner smoke should be forced to leave the dining room before lighting up, the full Senate decided today.
Senators approved Sen. Rob Marionneaux’s plan to prohibit smoking in all restaurants’ dining areas but allow smoking in bars and casinos, cigar shops, and hotel and motel rooms. Marionneaux cited several polls conducted by anti-smoking groups showing that a majority of residents in Louisiana’s cities support such a ban.
“Let’s afford our citizens the right to have dinner with their families without the bother of second-hand smoke,” said Marionneaux, D-Livonia.
The measure passed on a 36-2 vote. Sens. Heulette “Clo” Fontenot, R-Livingston, and Max Malone, R-Shreveport, opposed the bill, which now moves to the House.
If the bill becomes law, smoking would be outlawed in restaurants beginning in 2007.
Sen. Ken Hollis filed an amendment to allow smoking inside restaurants’ bar areas, if those bars are walled off from the dining area. Hollis said suddenly banning smokers from those areas could drive restaurants out of business, because their customers will go to bars where smoking is allowed.
“This will hopefully keep some of our restaurants from going out of business,” said Hollis, R-Metairie.
Marionneaux opposed the amendment, calling it a veiled attempt to kill the measure, by drawing further opposition from the restaurant industry. Restaurant owners have complained that the bill — even without Hollis’ amendment — gives tavern owners special treatment.
Senators approved Hollis’ amendment with a 23-15 vote, sending it to the House.
The bill was also amended by Sen. Diana Bajoie, D-New Orleans, who added an exemption aimed at helping New Orleans’ convention center attract business. The amendment would allow smoking at convention space during tobacco industry trade shows.
It would also allow smoking during Mardi Gras krewes’ parties held at a convention center.
Marionneaux introduced a similar plan last year that was voted down by the full Senate, partly because it included a provision to also outlaw smoking in casinos. This year’s version exempts casinos, eliminating opposition from the powerful gambling industry and improving its chances of eventually becoming law.
That one's the best one yet!!!
Here's a Freeper link and more ammo for you to use against people who think democratic mob rule is a great idea. It's quite good. Here's a sample -
Samuel Adams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, championed the new Constitution in his state precisely because it would not create a democracy. "Democracy never lasts long," he noted. "It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself." He insisted, "There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide."
New York's Alexander Hamilton, in a June 21, 1788 speech urging ratification of the Constitution in his state, thundered: "It has been observed that a pure democracy if it were practicable would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position is more false than this. The ancient democracies in which the people themselves deliberated never possessed one good feature of government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity."
From:
"A Republic, If You Can Keep It" (November 6, 2000)
The New American ^ | November 6, 2000 | John F. McManus
Posted on 05/01/2006 1:23:10 PM EDT by Sweetjustusnow
Thank you. I will do a google search on it later! :)
I don't see a democratic vote in this article, do you?
YEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!You deliver like no other!!!!!!
No, it's only idiot legislators caving into the wishes of the democratic mob while ignoring the rule of law establishing individual liberty and private property rights. Anytime you ignore law to carry out the demands of a majority it's still mob rule, even if it's hidden behind the skirts of cowardly legislators.
Love, love, feels like a ball and chain, what a fool to I've been to fall in love again....
Aldo Nova
I like Aldo Nova, but not as much as Climax Blues Band.
How can the lawmakers ignore law when they write it?
It's another Louisiana smoking ban bill introduced this session.
I see. Maine did that a few years ago with Foster parents.
"You would deduce from "Gabz"'s line of though that children would be healthier if they had a tobacco smoke producing machine in their bedroom."
Her comments say no such thing, but don't hesitate to continue down your decietful path. BTW, when you talk about another FReeper, it is polite to ping them to the comments.
"Her comments say no such thing, but don't hesitate to continue down your decietful path."
I don't think they're going to get that message. It doesn't fit into the agenda.
Unless you are an illegal, then you can smoke all you want. After all, American laws dont really mean anything do they?
That's right. And that's another lie the anti's are throwing out there about smokers. Telling the world that smokers who is increasing the cost of healthcare.
That burns me up! The cost of HEALTH care going up is due to all the damn illegals that we have to pay for when they enter our hospital system. It's a lot easier to just blame everything on smokers then it is to actually admit the truth!
I don't hold nannies responsible for this kind of crap anymore. I hold the smokers who continue to spend money at nonsmoking establishments after the bans responsible. If they ban it in your area, don't solicit the businesses. A 25% drop in business will end a smoking ban in any area.
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