Posted on 01/06/2008 7:23:28 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Although France, a country known as much for its smoky cafes as its patisseries, recently snuffed out smoking in all public places, smoking opponents in Wisconsin are facing an uphill struggle to muscle a similar proposal through the state Legislature with only a couple of months left before adjournment.
The bill, which would ban smoking in all Wisconsin restaurants and bars, is poised to get its first scheduled vote Tuesday in the Senate Committee on Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Privacy. But Sen. Roger Breske, D-Eland, a former tavern owner, wants to exempt bars from the bill, and Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Schofield, has said he would not schedule a full vote on the Senate floor until Breske is able to reach a compromise on that issue with Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, the bill's author.
Risser said Friday he has had several conversations with Breske, but the two have not reached any compromise. Neither Breske nor Decker returned phone calls for comment.
Introduced in April by Risser, the bill was initially buoyed by the support of the Wisconsin Restaurant League, which had opposed repeated previous efforts to implement a statewide smoking ban, and Gov. Jim Doyle, who announced plans last January to push for a ban and a $1.25 hike in the cigarette tax. But when Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit, was ousted in October as Senate majority leader in favor of Decker, the bill's fortunes changed.
Alison Prange of the American Cancer Society and other supporters of a comprehensive statewide smoking ban say they are confident the bill would pass if it made it to the floor of the state Senate or Assembly.
"We feel very good about our chances," she said Friday.
Doyle spokesman Matt Canter said the proposal remains a key issue for the governor, who intends to continue working to get it passed by both houses of the Legislature.
"The governor hopes and expects to have action in the beginning of this year," Canter said. "We believe we have the votes. This was part of our effort to raise the price of smoking and create smoke-free facilities all across the state."
John Miller, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, declined to say whether the speaker supported the bill or an exemption for taverns.
"He's going to wait to see what they come up with," Miller said in reference to the state Senate.
Prange said that if the bill passes the Senate committee Tuesday, "there will be a pretty strong outcry if there's not an up or down vote on the floor."
"It's going to be interesting," she added, "because we know what the public wants, and it's a matter of whether the Legislature is listening."
Border crossing
Illinois and Minnesota have recently passed smoking bans, and a similar proposal has passed one house in the Michigan legislature. Doyle has said Wisconsin will become the "ashtray of the Midwest" if the state does not follow suit.
Phil Hanson of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association has similar concerns about uniformity. He said his group decided about a year ago to support a full ban because it "wanted to level the paying field for all establishments in the food and beverage industry."
Hanson said he also fears that if the state Legislature doesn't act this session, more and more localities will move to pass their own bans, which could drive customers across nearby borders.
"There are 33 local ordinances already in place, and we know there will be more of those," he said.
Bill supporters point out that a surprising coalition of business, public health and tourism groups have come together to support the bill, including the American Cancer Society, Smoke Free Wisconsin, American Lung Association of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Tourism Federation, Wisconsin Innkeepers Association and Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
The state Ethics Board Web page lists the Wisconsin Tavern League, Wisconsin Wine and Spirit Institute, Wisconsin Amusement and Music Operators, Cigar Association of America Inc. and Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin as opposed to the bill, though the Tavern League has been the only group to mount a significant fight.
According to Mike Buelow, research director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a watchdog group, Breske and Decker led Senate Democrats in recent years in campaign contributions from the Tavern League's political action committee and conduit. Unlike a PAC, a conduit is not restricted by the size or number of contributions from individuals, which are bundled into one large check for candidates.
Between Jan. 1, 2003, and July 1, 2007, Breske received $12,782 and Decker received $7,858 from the Tavern League's PAC and conduit, according to Buelow. The state Senate Democratic Committee received $6,030 during the same period.
Risser, on the other hand, received no money from the group. Nor did Robson, who championed the smoking ban as Senate majority leader before her ouster. But Buelow pointed out that the state Senate Democratic Committee did receive a lot of the money under Robson's watch.
Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said the Tavern League does not carry the same weight as political heavy-hitters Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), but it is nevertheless "an influential lobby."
"I wouldn't consider them insignificant at all, and I think money is part of what is behind their influence," McCabe said. "They have helped a fair amount of people get into office, and they have legislators who are loyal to them."
The pure democracy you suggest would result in that. In fact, it may already have happened.
Your posts are evidence.
You didn’t make it far enough in the thread, but I’ll give you credit for being more civilized than most.
So you’re equating majority voting with mob rule.
What would you propose as an alternative?
it has been quite a while since I have encountered one of the frauds here, and in fact I will admit I was the one that turned him into the mods and got him banned....but that was several years ago. I haven’t encountered it here since, but have elsewhere.
I don’t deny that I smoke, but my argument here has nothing to do with that. My argument is that I don’t believe that I have the right to dictate the clientele of another businessperson. I have been self-employed for far too long to be comfortable with others dictating my clientele, which is why I have such problems with your support of voter referendum on smoking bans. I have never owned a bar or restaurant, but have worked in my fair share of both and I have never encountered ANYONE who was forced to patronize one.
The definition of a “public place” has been bastardized from a place “owned” by the public, i.e. the taxpayers (courts, DMV, any other government buildings) to one that is privately owned, but INVITES the public to enter.
I agree with you in regard to people needing to get away from the idea government is there to save them.
On your distracted driving premise, laws against that are already on the books, I don’t see a reason for anymore. I know I got a ticket for distracted driving, long before there were cell phones.....so the laws are already on the books. BTW, that ticket was over 20 years ago :)
Confine your comments to the knitting circle rather than advocating impimging upon my freedoms, and I will be happy to comply with your request.
Why, thank you.
Bladder infections smack the recipient in the face with reality.
What we used to have and what was designed, a representative republic.
Like many issues, there are more than enough laws on the books regarding distracted driving. Of course, they are almost meaningless (as they are more or less unenforceable). It’s frustrating to me because I encounter so many people driving erratically who are talking on cell phones. I’d prefer that they be smart enough to not talk on cell phones (or send text messages, or whatever) while driving.
Fortunately, like most things, the free market is solving this. Hands-free devices are cheap and widely available, and Bluetooth is making that even easier.
I don’t knit, I freep and I will comment on any thread I choose, whether you like it or not. Now go have a smoke and leave me alone.
Correct me if I’m wrong, Mr. Quinn, but this very thread is about elected representatives in Wisconsin acting on behalf of the people. Simply because you don’t like what they are trying to do doesn’t mean they aren’t acting in their official duties (even though they’re almost certainly overstepping their bounds).
I suggest referendums, by the way, as a way to allow the public to voice their opinions on matters which they are qualified to judge. Elected representatives are supposed to inform themselves on the issues they are voting on so the public don’t have to do; that’s why they’re elected.
Gleefully polluting an environment of my choice with first-and second-hand smoke as we speak.
Annoys you, doesn't it?
Except the people who smoke, which is by the way, LEGAL in all 50 states and most of the world.
You got that right.
No not in the least, now leave me alone.
Gladly, as soon as you do the same.
Thank You. However, that isn’t an answer!
Those arguments are still working great for the smokers. Keep up the good work.
...which is why I said they’re overstepping their bounds.
Actually, I think any arguments pro or con concerning The Constitution and Personal Freedoms fall upon deaf ears both here and also in my Politically Correct, Sheeple-Filled town.
Can’t wait until they start taxing the h#ll out of Tea and Coffee. Boy, Howdy! That’s gonna be fun, fun, fun, LOL!
I already said the free market should dictate bans as far as restaurants go. The owner decides, and if people don’t like it they speak with their dollars.
Why is government inclined to pass all-or-nothing legislation? That’s a great question, one I certainly wish I knew the answer to. You could start with the catch-all that government, given a choice between acting or doing nothing, will always choose the worse of the two options. In this case, as most, acting is the worse of the two.
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