TOPEKA, KS -- If you're sick of making your way through clouds of smoke in public places, circle July 1 on your calendar if you plan to be in Kansas.Gov. Mark Parkinson's office says he plans to sign into law, and make effective July 1, a ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and other enclosed public and work places. The legislation was approved last week by the state House of Representatives.
The 1,000-member Kansas Restaurant & Hospitality Association had expressed a preference for a weaker law, one that would allow restaurants, taverns, casinos and private clubs to designate their facilities as a smoking section as long as they paid an annual fee and did not admit minors.
Kansas will become the 31st state to ban smoking in restaurants. Michigan will become the 30th when its statewide ban goes into effect on May 1. Virginia became the 29th when its ban went into effect on December 1, 2009.
ON THE WEB
• Somking bans in the U.S.
• Dowd's Guides
