Despite Threats, Casino Smoking Ban Advances

[Earth Bound Misfit]

X-posted in Connecticut forum http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=143x4893

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-casino-smoking-ban-0421.artapr21,0,3418444.story

By CHRISTOPHER KEATING | The Hartford Courant
April 21, 2009

Despite threats of legal action and a potential battle over nearly $400 million a year in slot-machine revenue currently added to state coffers, a key legislative committee voted Monday to ban smoking at the state's two Indian casinos.

The Democratic members on the legislature's government administration and elections committee said they have the right to ban smoking to protect the health of casino workers — including those who have complained about the health effects of second-hand smoke.

But Republican lawmakers said the bill is clearly unconstitutional and would violate the compacts between the state and the Indian tribes that operate the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos. They said the bill specifically targets casinos while allowing private clubs to continue permitting smoking.

"This, indeed, does buy us a substantial fight in the courts," said Rep. John W. Hetherington, a New Canaan Republican who serves as the ranking House Republican on the committee. "This is going to be a very long and costly fight for Connecticut."

The two casinos have said they prefer to reach a resolution directly with the governor's office, rather than being forced to ban smoking by the legislature.

In strongly worded letters to Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, tribal officials said last month that the pending bill would violate the compact that allows the state to collect hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the casinos.

"I must inform you that if this legislation is approved, that action will force us to vigorously defend our federally recognized right to govern our lands," Mohegan Tribal Chairman Bruce "Two Dogs" Bozsum wrote in a one-page letter to Rell. "I will be compelled to initiate legal action on behalf of the Mohegan Tribe to stop this assault on our rights."

More at link.

[goclark]

1. I hope they ban it all over ~ that is why I don't go to casino's anymore

Can't take the smoke.

[MindPilot]

4. A couple of the tribes here have opened no-smoking casinos.

People have a choice -- sometimes the "free market" actually works.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. One of the nicest casinos I have been to was in Minnnesota

and was alcohol free.

[enlightenment]

2. I think the CT legislature needs to take another look

at Worcester v Georgia . . .

From the commencement of our government Congress has passed acts to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indians; which treat them as nations, respect their rights, and manifest a firm purpose to afford that protection which treaties stipulate. All these acts, and especially that of 1802, which is still in force, manifestly consider the several Indian nations as distinct political communities, having territorial boundaries, within which their authority is exclusive, and having a right to all the lands within those boundaries, which is not only acknowledged, but guaranteed by the United States. .

http://www.civics-online.org/library/formatted/texts/worcester.html

[Statistical]

7. Yeah I don't understand how this even got this far.

Initially from the headline I thought it was casinos in NV.

If residents of NV via the elected officals of NV wish to ban smoking in casinos in NV I have no problem.

I do have a problem when the residents of CT wish to ban smoking in another nation.

[enlightenment]

11. That'll be a cold day . . .

and it's going to be 94 today in Vegas (I live in LV).

When that group that pushed the smoking ban onto ballots across the country came to Nevada, they had to make some major concessions - the law (passed by initiative) bans smoking in all the standard places except the casinos. No way were they going to allow that.

I'm an ex-smoker - quit more than a decade ago - but this issue beats the band. It's enough to make me want to light up again, just out of spite. I'd like a few bans, too, and my arguments are just as logical as the anti-smoking crowds . . . but I'm not going to get them: perfume and cologne (I'd rather breathe smoke than be asphyxiated by AXE body spray or the latest 'fragrance'). Mobile phones - can we at least have a one-day moratorium every month so we don't have to hear about the latest trials and travails/arguments/body function of total strangers . . . not to mention the very real danger of being on the road with morons who can't stop talking on the phone for more than 5 minutes? And speaking of idiots in vehicles; let's ban boom boxes on wheels; there may be ordinances, but they aren't working. Violent reaction to incessant bass-beat should be considered justifiable homicide.

It's all about perspective, isn't it?

[MindPilot]

14. "Violent reaction to incessant bass-beat should be considered justifiable homicide."

Ramen to that!

[MindPilot]

3. Banning tobacco on Indian land just seems...well, ironic. n/t

[kestrel91316]

6. True. But it's nice that THEY have the right to decide this.

[konnichi wa]

5. I'm an ex smoker but I agree with the republicans on this one.

:grr:

[kiva]

8. Yup, unfortunatly sometimes stupid is bipartisan. n/t

[walldude]

9. LMFAO.... Casino's?

So it's ok to drop juniors college fund on the slots but not to smoke while you are doing it? :rofl: :rofl:

[Better Believe It]

10. I'm an ex-smoker and I'm against the smoking ban.

Some casino's provide "non-smoking areas". That could be done and employees who object to "second-hanrd" smoke could be assigned to work in the non-smoking casino areas.

[Sebastian Doyle]

15. Depends on how they do it.

I've seen casinos where you have to walk through the polluted part of the building to get to the non-smoking section, which pretty much defeats the whole purpose. Others where the stench pours in through the HVAC system, again defeating the purpose.

The casinos should be set up using this model: The entire building is considered a smoke free facility except for the one section where smoking is allowed. That section is completely closed off from the rest of the casino, including the HVAC system, and tobacco addicts can poison themselves to their diseased hearts' content without subjecting anyone else to it.

[cherish44]

12. It's CASINOS dammit. You don't use 's to make a plural!

This is something they teach in 2nd grade.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

13. ?????

Is that addressed to my OP?

Nevermind. Just saw the post you meant.

[Paladin]

18. Somebody Needs To Relax And Have A Smoke. :) n/t

[Earth Bound Misfit]

19. Tee-Hee...n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I have been to both of these casinos and they are HUGE

There is no reason they can't establish smoking and non-smoking areas in each of them. They also should be able to afford ventilation equipment.

If I was a lawmaker in CT, I wouldn't want to fight with either of these casinos. I was there on a week night and they were both packed to the gills.