Iowa House endorses statewide smoking ban

After four-and-a-half hours of debate, the Iowa House has passed a bill that would ban smoking in most public places around the state. 

Here's the Radio Iowa story.

Vote tally was 56 to 44, with Democrats providing most of the "yes" votes and Republicans providing most of the "no" votes.  Eleven Republicans, though, voted "yes" and nine Democrats voted "no" -- there's no link yet on the Iowa General Assembly website to the roll call vote.

Comments

[brad]

Piece by piece every last one of our freedoms are being controlled by government. Here we are trying to go around the wrold a fight for peoples freedoms as we lazy Americans sit and watch all of our freedoms disappear. How long do you think it will be before people start speaking up and stand for what this country is all about. Lets see they tried prohibition, the war on drugs, outlawed gambling, prostitution. Not that I am for any of those things but come on none of these "bans" have worked. Moral of this story, government just stay out of my life PLEASE.

[Paula]

So what is up our state is woried about the workers and 2nd hand smoke but its ok for the casino workers to breath it in? Workers are workers now the casino workers have no choise.

[Laura]

I cannot believe it has gotten this far. Do you not have any rights at all (except to pay the high taxes). Cigarettes are not illegal but the government has the right to tell business owners they cannot have smoking in their own establishments. I think it should be their right to decide. Personally, I think obese people should be banned from restaurants. I lose my appetite looking at morbidly obese people while I am trying to eat and I wish someone would tell the true story of what group is actually costing the most money for healthcare-its not the smokers!