We knew it was coming, and now here it is: State Sen. Rodney Ellis has proposed a statewide smoking ban for bars and restaurants similar to the ones that Houston and Austin now have in place.
Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, announced Thursday that he will file the proposed “Texas Smoke-Free Workplace Law.” His bill would ban smoking in all public places and work sites. Ellis timed his announcement to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. “Even though cities all over the state – including Houston, Austin, El Paso, and Laredo – have passed strong ordinances, we still have a large population of Texans who remain unprotected from secondhand smoke,” Ellis said. Forty-seven Texas cities have passed ordinances that contain smoke-free provisions, and 14 have comprehensive ordinances protecting employees and the public, according to Ellis’s office.
I’ve called Sen. Ellis’ office to find out more about this. The bill is not yet available online, as it is still in the drafting process. When it is available, I’ll post an update. If you’re too impatient for that, try subscribing to the TLO RSS feed for Today’s Bill Text.