Statewide smoking ban debate begins

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Just a few feet away from a notorious lawmaker hang-out and, rumored to be, smoke-filled bar, politicians debate a bill that would institute a statewide smoking ban.

"My grandmother died from lung cancer and she never smoked," said Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, a co-sponsor of the legislation.

However, one cannot escape the irony in the debate when some lawmakers can not observe the smoking ban already in place in Austin. The tiny bar that politicians and lobbyists gather in during the legislative session has been home to some notorious incidents and is well-known as an intimate watering hole, often filled with cigar and cigarette smoke. The city's mandatory no-smoking sign adorns the door outside.

Nevertheless, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing for a bill that would ban smoking in bars, restaurants, stadiums and businesses. Smokers would also have to stand at least 15 feet away from any public door or window if they want to light up.

"You can't smoke inside and you can't smoke on the sidewalks," said Austin smoker Nathan Morse. "It seems like a slippery slope toward not being able to smoke anywhere."

But, Farrar said Texans have a right to breathe clean air when they are in a public place.

"There was a culture where you put up with other people's smoke and I think that culture is changing," she said. "If somebody wants to smoke they can go to a place where it is not going to affect other people."

Anti-smoking advocates are pushing the legislation as are groups like the Livestrong Foundation. However, with the bill getting a committee hearing so late in the legislative session, it may have to wait another two years before becoming reality. In 2007, a similar bill narrowly failed on the House floor.

If it does pass, the state's mandates would take priority over any city ordinance, meaning cities with more lenient bans would have to tighten their restrictions.