The state Senate gave final approval Thursday to a scaled- back smoking ban that applies only to restaurants.
Senators voted 21-12 to approve Senate Bill 207, with four Republicans joining Democrats to pass the measure. One Democrat, Stephanie Takis of Aurora, voted against the bill.
The proposed statewide smoking ban, which exempts bars, casinos and some restaurants with liquor licenses, now heads to the House of Representatives.
The bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez, said he hopes to return the bill to its original form, which banned indoor smoking for any business with four or more workers.
Larson said another option would be to exempt bars from the smoking ban but restore the ban in other workplaces.
Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, who proposed the Senate amendment that limited the smoking ban to restaurants, said he wouldn’t accept those changes.
The final vote on the floor of the Senate on Thursday inspired another round of heated debate.
Sen. Jim Dyer, R-Centennial, accused the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Dan Grossman, D-Denver, and his fellow Democrats of using tobacco-tax dollars to pay for pet projects that promote public health.
“Sen. Grossman would sit there and say, on one hand, we decry smoking and all of the horrible things it does to people and, on the other hand, send us your money,” Dyer said.
“That is political prostitution, Sen. Grossman,” Dyer said. “You can’t accept money from people doing something that you fundamentally disapprove of and expect people to forget about it.”
Grossman replied: “I’m not really sure where to begin, but I think you just called me a prostitute, which I’m not.”
Grossman explained that the proposed ban is a way to curb smoking because outlawing tobacco products isn’t possible.
“If I could wave a magic wand and do away with smoking in the state of Colorado, I would do it,” Grossman said. “I would do it in a heartbeat. The truth of the matter is that I can’t.”
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-820-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
