DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- A bill that bans smoking from Iowa restaurants and bars but allows it in casinos and small private clubs is up for debate Thursday in the House.
Anti-tobacco activists are pushing to allow counties and cities to enact local control, saying those bans would less likely include exemptions.
Representative Janet Petersen, a Des Moines Democrat, is a sponsor of the bill. She says the exemptions amounted to a compromise needed to get the bill passed in committee.
Wes Ehrecke of the Iowa Gaming Association says casinos would lose a lot of business if they prohibit smoking. He told lawmakers that unless they exempt the industry, Iowa could wind up losing tens of millions of dollars in casino-tax revenue.
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