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Bills to soften smoking ban are piling up

Sen. Shaffer seeks to exempt private clubs and lodges

April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 31, 2007 at midnight

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A veteran who was shot three times during the Korean War asked his local lawmaker why he couldn't simply go to his lodge, light up a cigarette and drink a beer with his buddies in peace.

Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, had no answers during a recent townhall meeting at the VFW lodge in his hometown.

That's why he introduced a bill Tuesday that would lift the statewide smoking ban on private membership clubs and lodges.

"I believe in the smoking ban," Shaffer said. "But ultimately, I couldn't give the guy an answer when he stood up and said, 'Now, you're telling me I can't drink a beer and smoke with my buddies at our own club.' "

Lawmakers debated that point before passing the smoke ban for almost every Colorado facility except casinos, cigar bars and the smoking lounge at Denver International Airport.

A number of lawmakers, including Shaffer, tried to get veterans' clubs, bingo halls and the Elks and Moose lodges exempted, but they failed.

"If my bill doesn't move forward, I'll support one that's trying to get casinos (included in the smoking ban)," he said. "How do you justify that to veterans who put their lives on the line? We need to make sure we have a level playing field."

Senate Bill 120 is one of four bills introduced this year to try to fix or dilute the smoking ban.

One bill, by Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, would allow "mom-and-pop" bars to pay an extra $500 for their liquor licenses in exchange for letting patrons light up.

Rep. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, has introduced House Bill 1108, which would close cigar bar loopholes that are allowing some bar patrons to smoke.

Denver Democrats Sen. Ken Gordon and Rep. Anne McGihon said they plan to introduce a measure today to require casinos to go smoke free.

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