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Wichita City Council Passes Clean Air Ordinance |
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By a 4-3 vote (Brewer, Williams, Longwell & Fearey supporting / Schlapp, Gray and Skelton opposed), the proposed Wichita ordinance was passed on it's 1st reading today. The City of Wichita's legal staff will review the ordinance and make final edits prior to the 2nd reading. The 2nd reading will take place at the first City Council meeting in June; if passed (as is expected), the ordinance would become law after a 90-day waiting period. |
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3/24 SB 660 Update |
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03/25/08 - Mary Jayne Hellebust - Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition
After a hearing on SB 660, championed by Johnson County Senator David Wysong, the Senate Ways and Means Committee amended the bill and passed it on to the full Senate.
Thanks to the almost 30 individuals and groups that supplied written testimony in support for a strong clean indoor air law for Kansas, and particularly to Dr. Roy Jensen, Dr. Karen Kelly, Senator Marci Francisco, Representative Gene Rardon, and Senator Roger Reitz, who presented compelling oral arguments in support of the bill. As usual, opponents fell back on fallacious statements related to economic disaster, personal and business rights, with some even arguing against the validity of the science related to the health consequences of secondhand smoke.
The bill would make workplaces, including bars and restaurants and other public places and worksites smoke free. The original bill included minor exemptions: private homes and residences, up to 20% of motel/hotel rooms, and areas beyond ten feet of an entry way. Amendments offered by Senator Wysong during the hearing and accepted by the committee included exemptions for the Kansas veterans home and the Kansas soldiers home, portions of an adult care home that may contain a designated smoking area, tobacco shops, commercial motor vehicles, and the main gaming floor of a gaming facility to be located in southeast Kansas (due to the proximity of native American casinos right across the border in Oklahoma).
The bill passed out of committee with only two dissenting votes. We will keep you aware of any further action on this bill. Now is the time to continue expressing your opinions to your senators on this issue to keep it alive and moving.
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Important Press Release Information
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