Casino smoking ban snuffed out
Hartford – The legislature’s Finance Committee killed through inaction a pair of controversial bills Tuesday afternoon, including a proposal to ban smoking at the state’s two tribally owned casinos.The committee did not take up the smoking ban bill before adjourning around 1:30 p.m. Under legislative rules, bills referred to committee must be acted upon within seven calendar days or three legislative session days. That rule means the smoking ban was effectively killed by the Finance panel’s failure to take action today.
The committee’s leaders also allowed Republicans to filibuster a proposal that would have decriminalized the possession of less than 0.5 ounces of marijuana, though lawmakers said they expected that proposal to return later this session in the form of an amendment.
The smoking ban – which is vigorously supported by organized labor but opposed by Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods – is dead for this session, and unlikely to return, said Sen. Eileen Daily, D-Westbrook, the co-chairwoman of the committee and an opponent of the bill.
“Aside from any promise of a legal challenge it would be very costly… in terms of lost revenue because of lost business for the casino,” Daily said. “So our businesses, all of them, are in enough trouble without our taking action today that would be more costly.”
The recent agreement between Gov. M. Jodi Rell and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on a plan to reduce and eventually phase out smoking at Foxwoods, similar to that already signed between Rell and the Mohegan tribe, also made legislative action on a ban unlikely and unnecessary, Daily said.
“I really think that put an end to it,” Daily said, referring to the new pact with the Mashantuckets.
That wasn’t good enough for Jack Edwards, a dealer at Foxwoods and a member of the United Auto Workers union, who has been one of the stalwart group of union activists, clad in distinctive yellow t-shirts, who have lobbied over the last two years in favor of a legislative smoking ban.
Edwards said the Foxwoods agreement had been “misunderstood by the general populace,” noting that while it would limit smoking in the vast majority of Foxwoods, the gaming area where he and others work is still open to smokers.
“Now what you’ve got is you’ve got a smaller area, you’ve got more smoke, and it’s even a worse health environment,” he said.
The lobbying effort will continue, even if the bill is dead for this year.
“We’re not done,” Edwards said. “If not this year, we’ll be back on day one next year”
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