Smoking, please
By Lindsey Wagner | March 1, 2006By a narrow margin, the Virginia Senate passed a bill to ban smoking in all indoor public facilities, including restaurants, bars, banks and hotel lobbies. The bill was not expected to pass in the House of Delegates and it died in committee unanimously last Friday. Most lawmakers said they did not think the bill would pass in a state that is the third-largest tobacco-producing state in the nation and is home to Philip Morris national headquarters. Conservative lawmakers said they were hesitant to endorse the bill because they were worried the government would be overstepping its rights over business owners if the bill had passed. Second-year College student Jonathan Massell said he agreed with the lawmakers' responses. "I realize there are health risks, but places tend to be unfair to smokers," Massell said.
