The Senate voted Monday to ban smoking in casinos – but not for another year.
That means the proposal has to go back to the House, which had voted to extend the state’s 9-month-old smoking ban to gambling halls beginning in July.
House sponsor Anne McGihon called the Senate vote “irresponsible” because it would delay the rights of the state’s 8,000 casino employees to work in a healthy environment.
She said she will ask to send the bill to a conference committee for negotiations between the chambers rather than accept the amendment.
Despite the change, the bill is closer to the original version than as initially endorsed by the Senate.
On its first Senate vote 10 days ago, lawmakers approved an amendment that would have essentially gutted the bill by not letting the ban on casino smoking take place until exemptions for the Denver International Airport smoking lounge and cigar bars were also removed.
Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, said he mistakenly voted for that “poison pill” amendment, thinking it only extended enactment of the new casino ban.
The Senate voted 18-16 to put the bill back to its original House form, then voted 18-16 for the amendment by Sen. Shawn Mitchell to delay enactment for a year.
Backers of the amendment said it would give casinos more time to build outdoor patios and other accommodations for smokers.
But opponents argued that restaurants, bars and other establishments that fall under the smoking ban passed last year did not have that luxury.
“What casinos need to do is remove the ashtrays and put up no- smoking signs. I don’t think that takes a year,” said Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont.
Mitchell said his amendment was about “freedom of choice,” which prompted a short exchange with bill sponsor Sen. Ken Gordon, the majority leader from Denver.
“To me, this is the freedom to get cancer and give it to others,” Gordon said. “I don’t value that freedom.”
Capitol bureau chief Jeri Clausing can be reached at 303-954-1555 or jclausing@denverpost.com.
