Statewide smoking ban dies again this year

Friday, Feb. 24, 2006

— Thomas Dennison

As expected, the House Health and Government Operations Committee has killed a bill that would ban smoking in bars and restaurants statewide.

Banning smoking in bars and restaurants presented a dicey proposition for members of the legislature going into this fall’s elections. Arguments that a ban would hurt businesses won out over public health concerns that advocates have continually used to make their case.

‘‘There were concerns about the business impacts,” said Committee Chairman Peter A. Hammen (D-Dist. 46) of Baltimore. He also said that some committee members said local governments should take the lead on the issue as Montgomery and Prince George’s counties have.

The bill was defeated Thursday night in an 11-11 tie vote, and anti-smoking advocates were quick to express their disappointment that Del. Sue Kullen (D-Dist. 27B) of Port Republic missed the vote.

‘‘She was in the building,” said Eric Gally, a lobbyist for the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. ‘‘We think she is very interested in the health concerns with this bill. It’s disappointing that she knew there was a vote and she was not there.”

Kullen said she had to testify on a family law bill in the House Judiciary Committee when the smoking ban was brought to a vote.

‘‘It was just incredibly bad timing,” she said.

Kullen said she sympathizes with asthma patients and others who despise cigarette smoke, but she said the business community in her district opposed the ban.

Kullen’s district is in the heart of Southern Maryland’s tobacco country. She shares a district with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach, who opposes the ban.

Killing the smoking ban will result in the deaths of 1,000 people due to second-hand smoke, Gally said.